You Belong To Me
by Symphony In Blue
Summary: Sequel to Where We Start. Harry and Ruth finally take that big step and start dating. At the same time there's the inquiry to worry about, and there are other events which change their lives beyond recognition and hopefully bring them even closer together
1. Chapter 1

**This is a continuation of my story Where We Start. You can read this as a separate story, but some things in this story might be unclear because I'll be referring back to it a couple of times. Hopefully it'll be fluffy enough, because I do intend to make this story a lot happier than Where We Start. Happy reading!**

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**Chapter 1**

By the time they arrived back on the Grid it was nearly 5.30. Ruth and Harry didn't get a chance to speak to each other for the rest of the day. There were stacks of paperwork to be filled out and calls to be made. There were, however, the occasional glances from one to the other, paired with flashbacks of the events of the past couple of days and everything that had happened between them. It was unbelievable how much could happen in such a short time span.

As always they were the last ones to stay behind on the Grid, working well into the night.

"You know, you've just missed the last bus" Harry whispered into her ear.

This made Ruth jump slightly. She hadn't heard him coming up behind her at all.

"Well, I suppose you could give me a lift then" she replied without looking up.

"Yes, I suppose I could" he repeated.

* * *

For the second time that day he was driving her home. Only this time there was no awkward silence, no tense atmosphere.

For the second time that day he parked his car outside her flat and walked her to her front door. Only this time she didn't object to him doing so.

She turned to look at him, fidgeting nervously with her house keys as she did so. "Thanks for driving me home Harry."

"No need to thank me, it was my pleasure," he said. He bent forward and let his lips brush against hers for just a moment. "Goodnight Ruth."

He then turned around and walked back to his car, got inside, but didn't pull away until he had made sure Ruth had safely entered her house.

Ruth couldn't stop smiling as she closed and locked the front door behind her. Earlier that day she had felt so miserable, devoid of any feelings whatsoever. And now, mere hours later, she felt more alive than ever before. _Maybe, just maybe_, she thought, _this could really be the start of something wonderful._

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* * *

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Over the next couple of days they didn't get to speak to each other at all. The whole Lucas/John fiasco had started to unravel, Ruth had been kidnapped and nearly killed, and Harry had narrowly escaped death as well later that same day.

Ruth had been convinced that Lucas would kill Harry. She hadn't meant to break down like that in front of Tariq, but she hadn't been able to keep her emotions in check any longer. She cried for losing Harry, for the countless missed opportunities, for the many things that were still left unsaid. She couldn't possibly put into words how relieved she felt when she heard Harry was ok. In a way she was still sad that Lucas had died, even if he had made an attempt to kill her. But she was relieved that it was him and not Harry.

Also, she hadn't meant to sound so harsh earlier on when she had told Harry it was unfair of him to love her. She hadn't meant it like that. It just didn't feel right that he willingly shared a weapon that could easily kill thousands, even millions of people, just to save her. Just one, insignificant human being. Right now she could only thank God or whichever higher power had saved Harry, to ensure that those weren't the last words she had ever spoken to him.

* * *

For the next two days they didn't get a chance to see each other yet again. Harry was occasionally popping in on the Grid, but never stayed for more than ten minutes at a time. He spent a lot of time at Whitehall amongst other places, but nobody knew exactly what he was doing. The rest of the team were working overtime on the Grid. The Lucas/John ordeal had left them with a pile of paperwork that could account for the loss of a couple of acres of rainforest at least.

Ruth was restless. She desperately wanted to be alone with Harry for a moment, be able to talk to him. She had so many questions, there were so many things that needed to be said.

When he left the Grid again for the umpteenth time without a word to anyone, she decided to follow him. She saw him go up to the roof carrying his phone, so she decided to keep her distance for a moment, to allow him some privacy to make this call that was obviously so important that he wanted to make it away from his office and colleagues.

The moment she heard him hang up the phone she opened the door and stepped out onto the rooftop.

Harry turned around abruptly, his features softening when he saw it was Ruth.

"Hi" she said, shyly.

He took one of her hands in his and squeezed it slightly. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too" she answered. "Who was it you were talking to? It sounded quite serious." She looked worried.

He took a deep breath. "It was the Home Secretary. It's not looking good Ruth. There is to be a full inquiry, not just about Lucas and Albany, but about my entire career."

Ruth looked shocked. "But why?" she asked. "You made a wrong decision, which I'm sure you'll acknowledge and take full responsibility for, but that's no reason to question everything else you've done. The risks you've taken over the years, the lives you have saved."

"Albany was a fake, Ruth."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"It didn't work. We just made others think it did, to scare them off. It was to have some leverage over the Chinese, amongst others."

"But then, why do they feel the need to have a full inquiry if Albany didn't work anyway?" she asked.

"I still gave away a state secret Ruth, which makes it treason." He answered. "And they want to make me pay for that, even if it's the last thing they do. It's politics, that's all it is. Don't even try to understand it, I've never been able to either."

Ruth was speechless for a moment. All sorts of crazy thoughts were swirling around in her mind. The more she tried to make sense of it all, the more it confused her.

"Do you have any idea how severe the repercussions will be?" she finally asked.

"Early retirement, decommissioning, imprisonment. Who knows?"

She gasped as she heard the word imprisonment. "Surely they wouldn't send you to prison?"

"I don't know Ruth, I really don't know." He said. "I've one thing working in my favour though. I know where all the bodies are buried. I know every detail of every secret mission, every cover-up done by slimy politicians. That should give me at least some benefit."

Ruth smiled. She knew Harry wouldn't give in that easily. But the thought of a full inquiry still worried her immensely.

"I need you to tell me one thing though, and be honest with me." She said. "If Albany had been the real deal, would you have still given it to Lucas?"

Harry took a deep breath and took hold of her hand even more tightly. "No, as much as it pains me, I would not have given it to him. That weapon, in full working order, could have caused the death of millions of people. And although it would have destroyed me if Lucas had killed you, I still wouldn't have given him Albany. I would have found another way to save you though, I promise."

Ruth nodded her approval. "Thank you for being honest with me Harry, really. I'm glad you said that. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself, knowing that you'd choose my life, my one insignificant life, over that of millions of others."

He pulled her closer, enveloping her small frame into his big strong arms. She rested her head against his chest, listening to the soft thumping of his heart. He buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent which gave him all the comfort he needed at that moment.

"You do know I'd do anything within my power to keep you safe, don't you?" he whispered. "Only, giving Lucas a file like Albany in working order would have been out of the question."

"I know," she said, nodding slightly, burying her face even closer to his chest. "You'd do anything to keep the people you care about safe. But you're also a man of principles, and you have a very high moral standard. That's what I love about you."

That last statement shocked them both. It shocked Harry because even though he knew she loved him, she had never actually said it. Until now it had always remained the 'something wonderful that was never said', at least on her part.

Ruth had managed to shock herself, too. For a while now she had intended to finally tell Harry that she loved him, but she had never meant to say it quite like this. She looked up at him and started blushing feverishly. She anxiously bit her bottom lip, waiting for him to say something. He thought it made her look absolutely adorable.

"Well, I'm glad that after all these years it no longer remains unsaid. Now it's just something wonderful." He said, smiling, before bending down to kiss her passionately.

"So Ms. Evershed, would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?" he asked after they'd ended the kiss. "I'll let you pick the restaurant."

"I'd love to," she said. "But on one condition."

"Name it," he said.

"You'll have to wear the blue shirt," she replied, giving him a seductive smile.

"Your wish is my command Ruth," he grinned, before kissing her again.

**More soon. Please review! xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! They're very reassuring and encouraging, so keep them coming. This chapter turned out a lot longer than I originally intended it to be, but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway. What can I say? Harry and Ruth are a lot more chatty than I expect them to be!**

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**Chapter 2**

Harry didn't show up for work the next morning. Instead, some grey suit on secondment from 6 arrived on the Grid around 9, announcing that Harry had been suspended with immediate effect and that he would be his temporary replacement.

There was a short morning briefing where Ruth did most of the talking, and then they were all back to their desks to get a move on the piles of paperwork which only seemed to increase as the days went by.

Their temporary section head, his name was John Booker, disappeared into Harry's office after the briefing and hardly showed his face again for most of the day. Every now and then he would pop into the main part of the Grid, asked how everything was going, and disappear again. He was obviously someone who had spent the best part of his career locked away in some dingy office at Vauxhall Cross, because he seemed clueless about most of the vital aspects of working for the security services. Nobody in section D seemed to mind though. At least they could all continue to do their job properly, without anyone interfering and getting in the way.

It was a quiet day with no excitement whatsoever, so Ruth decided to make the most of this exceptional situation and take a proper lunch break. She exited the Grid and went up to the roof, taking her mobile phone with her.

She rested against the railing, looking out across the beautiful London skyline and pressed speed dial.

It only rang twice before Harry answered. "Missing me already Ruth?"

His soft, deep voice was enough to make her head spin and go weak at the knees, but she decided she couldn't let herself get distracted by this.

"Why didn't you tell me you'd been suspended with immediate effect?" She asked him. "I had to hear this from some prat from 6 along with the rest of the team!"

"I'm sorry Ruth. I wasn't told until this morning either. I called you at home but you had already left, so I figured you'd be at work and would have found out about my suspension by then. But I should have tried harder to reach you, I'm sorry sweetheart."

Ruth let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. She really couldn't stay angry with him for long. "It's ok Harry, I'm not mad" she said. "It's just that it all happened to sudden, and it took me by surprise."

"I can imagine," he said. "And I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you myself. And how is my most definitely temporary replacement?"

Ruth filled him in about Booker's blandness and serious lack of knowledge, and the terrible boredom they were all suffering because of the stacks of paperwork they had to work through.

Harry couldn't help but smile as he listened to Ruth going on about how bored she was, because there was nothing exciting happening and she had nothing substantial to analyse. He could easily listen to her voice for hours. Hell, she could read the phonebook to him and he'd still listen.

"Are we still on for tonight Harry?"she asked, nervous all of a sudden.

"Yes of course. Why wouldn't we be?"

"Uh..well I don't know" she stammered. "With the suspension and everything, things might have changed."

"Don't worry Ruth, I wouldn't miss it for the world." He said. "Besides, I'm very curious about the restaurant you've picked."

Although he couldn't actually see her, he knew she was smiling.

"Good, I'm glad." She said. "And we're going to one of my favourite restaurants, so you'd better like it" she teased.

Harry chuckled. "I'm sure I'll love it. And now back to work, or else your new section head will tell you off for taking an extended lunch break."

Ruth snorted at his comment. "I highly doubt it, he's been hiding in your office for most of the day, so he probably hasn't noticed I'm gone. But you're right, I should get back to work."

"Hmm I hope he hasn't found my drinks cabinet yet, or there'll be hell to pay," Harry half-joked.

"I'll personally see to it that he doesn't " Ruth reassured him.

"I'll pick you up at 8 then" he said. "I love you."

"I love you too Harry. See you tonight."

Ruth hung up, put the phone into her jacket pocket and returned to the Grid.

* * *

The doorbell rang at almost exactly 8 o'clock. For once in her life Ruth wasn't running late, so when she went to open the front door she was all set and ready to go. And what a sight awaited her on the other side of the door. She leaned against the doorframe and took her time taking in the sight before her. Harry was wearing a dark suit, no tie, and the bright blue shirt that she loved so much. Harry, in turn, was doing the exact same thing. Ruth was wearing a black dress and black boots. The dark blue denim jacket she'd thrown on over it gave her look a more casual appearance. Around her neck hung, as usual, her trademark silver necklace. She literally took his breath away.

Finally they snapped out of it, both turning slightly red at the realisation that they'd both been doing the same thing.

"You look beautiful Ruth," Harry finally managed to say.

"So do you," she replied. "I like the shirt."

"Oh, this old thing?" he teased her, which earned him a playful slap on his arm.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked her.

Ruth nodded. "Yes, all set."

She quickly grabbed her bag and keys, closed the door behind her and locked it. Harry couldn't help but notice how she slipped a piece of paper between the door as she closed it.

He moved to escort her to his car, which was parked a few yards away, but she stopped him and shook her head. "We're not taking the car Harry. We'll be walking to the restaurant. It's only 5 minutes from here, don't worry" she quickly added.

Harry smiled. _Trust Ruth to do things just slightly different _he thought. That's exactly what he loved about her.

"Alright then Ms. Evershed, lead the way," he said, still smiling.

She hooked her arm through his and started on their short walk. Ruth was glad they were able to do this. It was now mid-September, and the past couple of days had been grey, chilly with lots of rain. But today had been a sunny day, with mild temperatures and most importantly dry. She was glad of that. It would have been such a shame to be forced to take the car because of bad weather. She was already enjoying her evening immensely, and they weren't even at the restaurant yet.

* * *

Ruth had chosen a little Italian bistro. Harry observed the place with a mixture of humour and fascination. It looked like it had been newly decorated 30 years ago, and had stayed like that ever since, without any alterations. The wallpaper had faded, and so had the pictures that hung on the walls. None of the furniture matched, and neither did the glasses, plates and cutlery, as he would later discover. Even the waiter looked as if he had last updated his wardrobe in the late 80s.

But the atmosphere felt relaxed and friendly, not at all like the posh, uptight restaurants he usually dined at. He immediately understood why Ruth loved this place so much. It was unique and quirky, just like her.

They were seated at a small table in the corner of the restaurant. The waiter handed them the menus and poured them both some wine into two very different looking glasses.

Ruth smiled nervously. "Do you like it here Harry? I know it's quite different from the kind of restaurants you're used to, and if you don't like it I completely understand. We could of course go to a different kind of place next time..". She was nervous, and she had started rambling, like she always did when she was nervous about something.

Harry quickly stopped her. "Stop worrying Ruth, I like it here. It's very, well… you."

He gave her a reassuring smile.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Ok, I'll stop worrying. Promise."

The waiter soon came over to take their orders. Ruth ordered a mixed plate of starters that they could share, and a vegetarian lasagne for her main course. Harry decided to go for veal scaloppini.

They slipped easily into conversation as they waited for their meals. Compared to their one other dinner date years ago, this one was definitely winning out thus far. They were completely at ease around each other, talking about anything and everything. There wasn't even the slightest hint of awkward tension.

Ruth opted for a drastic shift in the conversation soon after the starters arrived. "I found a suitable psychologist a couple of days ago. And I've already made an appointment for next week." She said.

Harry looked up in surprise. He hadn't expected anything like this to come up tonight.

"She's been properly vetted, don't worry Harry. Signed the official secrets act and everything."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you Ruth," he said. "And I'm glad that you've found someone so soon. I know I offered to help you, but with everything that's happened recently it completely slipped my mind. I'm sorry."

She reached out across the table and took hold of his hand. "You've nothing to apologise for Harry. When you spend your days saving the country and trying to fend off annoying politicians at the same time, I can't expect you to help me with every tiny thing as well." She smiled at him.

"But this is not just some tiny thing," he said. "This is important."

She brought the hand she'd been holding up to her face and planted a kiss on it. "I'm feeling so much better already, and that's all because of you. There are just a few things that I need to work through now, and I think it's wise to have a professional help me through those things. But you need to realise that without you I wouldn't be where I am right now. Without you I would still have been in that dark, depressing place where there were no feelings. And you pulled me out of it, albeit in an…unconventional way. But it certainly did the trick."

"Really Ruth, you're giving me much more credit than I'm due. This is mainly down to your own strength. You're one of the strongest people I know, and I mean that. And you could have pulled away from me again, but you didn't. And I'll be eternally grateful for that."

In all their openheartedness they had completely forgot about their surroundings, until the waiter arrived with their main courses.

They slipped back into more light hearted conversation as they ate, both still marvelling about their open and honest conversation just before. Neither of them were very emotionally forthright, as Harry had pointed out only weeks before, so this had been a real eye-opener for both of them.

"Just out of curiosity Harry, how is it possible that we're sitting here without being followed and observed?" Ruth asked. " I remember all the trouble we went through last time you were suspended, and that was only to pass you a data stick. So how did you manage to avoid all the hassle this time?"

Harry took a deep breath. He had known this question would come sooner rather than later. Ruth was so extraordinary perceptive, so in a way he was surprised that she hadn't asked him about it sooner.

"I er…I lied." He admitted. "I said that we were engaged to be married. The DG's on my side in this inquiry. He helped me to get all the necessary paperwork done, make it look as if we'd gone through all the necessary proceedings weeks before the whole Albany ordeal. That's why we're being left alone. I hope you're not mad."

"No Harry, I'm not mad. Surprised maybe, but not mad."

Ruth smiled. Oddly enough she quite liked the idea of being engaged to Harry, even though she had turned down his proposal just months earlier. Right now she was no longer sure why she had even done that.

Harry breathed a sigh of relief. He was so glad to have come clean about his white lie. A part of him had expected Ruth to be angry with him, and he was so relieved to find out that she wasn't.

* * *

The rest of the night passed far too quickly for their liking. They had coffee and shared a tiramisu for dessert. The evening had been great and the food delicious. Harry decided he definitely wanted to come back here again.

Harry, always the gentleman, paid the bill and they exited the restaurant. Ruth quietly slipped her hand into his and rested her head against his arm. And like this they walked back to her house in companiable silence.

"Would you like to come in for a coffee, or a nightcap?" Ruth asked as they were standing at her front door again.

"I'd love to Ruth, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to say no anyway."

Ruth looked disappointed and slightly confused.

"We were going to take things slow, remember?" he explained. "So this time I'm making sure you get home safely, and kiss you goodnight at the front door. And next time, I might just take you up on that offer to come in."

He cupped her face with both hands and kissed her lovingly on the lips. She quickly responded to the kiss, snaking her arms around his waist, running her hands up and down his back.

Their foreheads rested against each other after they ended the kiss, and for a moment they remained standing like that.

"Are you sure you're not coming in?" Ruth asked again, just to be sure.

"I'm sure. Goodnight Ruth." He kissed her one last time, gave her one of his dazzling smiles, then turned around and started walking back to his car.

Ruth unlocked her front door, picked up the piece of paper that immediately fell to the ground, stepped through the door and closed it behind her. This night had outlived all her expectations. She couldn't stop smiling.

Harry got into his car and watched her open the door and go inside. When he had made sure she was safely inside the house he started the engine and drove off, the biggest smile possible plastered onto his face.

**TBC  
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**Please review :) xxx  
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	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the massive delay in getting this chapter up. Real life got in the way I'm afraid, but I'm hoping to get the next couple of chapters up sooner. Again a big thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed, favourited etc.  
This chapter pretty much wrote itself. It's like the characters have lives of their own! I did have to interfere at some point, however, otherwise this chapter would have needed an M rating!**

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Slowly but surely, everyone started to notice some subtle changes in Ruth's behaviour. She was still the first in at work most mornings, though not always as awake and alert as she used to be. Also, instead of having lunch at her desk whilst finishing up a report or some routine surveillance, she now left the Grid during most lunch breaks and stayed away for a good half hour. And instead of being the last one still working at night, she would now leave at a normal hour along with the rest of her colleagues.

Nobody felt the need to comment on this new routine. They all agreed Ruth worked far too hard, so her coming and going at decent times and taking proper breaks was received with much approval.

Of course what they didn't know was the reason behind these changes. Most afternoons Ruth would sneak out during her lunch break to escape to the rooftop. Knowing that hardly anyone ever came up there, it was the ideal place to make a quick phone call to Harry. At nights she would leave work at a decent hour and start her walk in the direction of the Embankment.

Somewhere along the way Harry would join her. They would stroll along the Embankment and talk, and sit on 'their' bench overlooking the water and the Houses of Parliament on the other side. The last precious days of September were slipping away, and with it the last few days of decent weather. It would be October soon, which meant the days of overcast grey skies and endless rain were imminent. So for now they were making the most of these dry and reasonably mild evenings.

Sometimes they would grab a coffee somewhere, another time they would have dinner in a nice café or pub. That next Friday, however, they broke off their routine, because Harry had planned to take her out to dinner and then to the opera. Though he had refused to tell Ruth what his plans were. It was going to be a surprise night out for her.

The inquiry had been ongoing for two weeks now, but so far he had only be summoned for questioning once, so he figured he should make the most of his time with Ruth in case, God forbid, his freedom would be taken from him soon.

* * *

Ruth was nervous. She had no idea where Harry was going to take her tonight, only that formal dress was required. She had dragged every possible item of clothing out of her closet, but still felt she had nothing to wear. Even though the temperature was still fairly moderate during the days, it could be quite chilly at night, so she figured anything sleeveless was out of the question. _Although, this would mean that at some point Harry would offer me his jacket, which would be nice, _she thought to herself. She immediately banished any such thoughts out of her mind. _Don't be so silly, _she chastised herself.

Eventually she opted for a knee-length, long sleeved burgundy dress and black heels. She decided to wear her hair up, so it showed the beautiful pearl earrings that Harry had given her earlier that week.

She quickly threw the rest of her clothes back into the closet. She decided she'd fold them properly tomorrow. After one last look in the mirror she dared stepping out of her bedroom.

She entered the living room looking for her purse, and was startled by Beth's presence. She thought she'd been alone in the flat all along.

"Going somewhere fancy?" Beth asked curiously?

"Maybe," Ruth answered, trying to avoid going into any more detail.

"You look stunning Ruth," Beth said.

"You really think so?" Ruth asked, suddenly turning shy.

Beth nodded her approval. "Definitely! Whoever is taking you out looking like that is a very lucky man."

By now Ruth's cheeks had flushed a nice shade of crimson to match the colour of her dress, and Harry hadn't even arrived yet!

"So" Beth continued, "who is this mystery man you're making such an effort for then?"

Ruth shook her head. "It's early days yet. I'll tell you when I'm ready, ok?"

Beth had at first intended to push Ruth a bit more on the subject, but the pleading look she received made her decide against it.

"Oh, and just in case you're wondering," Beth continued. "I'm going out tonight with some friends whom I haven't seen in over two years. And they're the kind that don't go home before sunrise if you know what I mean. So there is a distinct possibility that you'll find me on the Grid tomorrow morning in exactly the same outfit, only with smudged mascara and a pounding head to match."

Ruth smiled. "Well, I won't be on the Grid tomorrow morning because I'm taking the evening shift, but thanks anyway."

"I just wanted to let you know that you wouldn't be disturbed, you know, should your evening go really well." Beth teased.

Just as Ruth's cheeks were about to flush an even deeper colour than they already were, the bell rang, saving her from having to reply to Beth's comment.

Ruth took a deep breath and grabbed her purse. "I'll be off then. Have fun with your friends tonight." she said.

"Thanks" Beth said, smiling mischievously. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Chance would be a fine thing" Ruth muttered as she quickly made her way to the front door. She didn't want to make Harry wait any longer than was necessary.

When she opened the door, Harry was sure he had just died and gone to heaven. He had always thought Ruth beautiful and attractive, but never in his life had he seen her look as beautiful as she did right now.

"My god Ruth, you could give a man a coronary looking like that" he said before planting a soft kiss on her lips.

Ruth smiled shyly. "So you like my dress then? And it's suitable for the occasion? I wasn't sure what to wear because you've not told me where it is we're going."

"You look perfect" Harry said, the biggest smile possible plastered onto his face. "Just perfect."

Ruth closed the door behind her and hooked her arm through Harry's and together they walked down the garden path to his waiting car.

They were so completely engrossed with each other that they didn't see the blonde head peeping through a tiny hole in the curtains at their retreating backs. Beth couldn't help but smile to herself. She had vowed to herself she would leave Ruth be and do things on her own terms, but curiosity had got the better of her and she just had to know the identity of the mystery man. She had had her suspicions all along, and she was glad to know that they had just been confirmed.

* * *

It had been a truly magical, and all in all beautiful evening. First they had gone out to dinner at a beautiful restaurant, quite different and definitely more upmarket than the one Ruth had chosen for their first proper date, but wonderful all the same. The food, wine, and conversation had been good, and both had felt reluctant to leave and start on the second part of their evening.

But this, just as the first part, had been worth it. Harry had gotten them prime seats for La Bohème, Ruth's favourite Puccini opera, and when he told her she had been so excited she'd almost squealed with delight. She wanted to kiss him senseless there and then, and so she had done just that. Harry, immensely happy that he had been able to evoke such a reaction from her, had no reason to complain. He just smiled and eagerly received the kisses she was showering him with.

It really was the perfect night and both wished it would never end.

Again they found themselves at Ruth's front door. This time it was Harry's turn to kiss her senseless. He was still determined to give Ruth time and take things slow, so he wanted to make the most of the moment before their date was officially at an end.

"Would you like to come in for some coffee?" Ruth eventually asked, slightly out of breath.

Harry nodded. "I would love to."

"Ok" Ruth said, but didn't move. She was just staring at him, at his lips mainly. Occasionally her gaze wandered to his broad chest, and then back up, fixating on his lips again. She knew she shouldn't be doing this. She should probably unlock her front door and let them both into the house, which is the proper thing to do if you invite someone in for coffee. But she just couldn't help herself.

Harry couldn't help himself either. The look of intense desire he could see in her eyes mirrored his own, and before he knew what was happening his lips were crashing down on hers again and he had pushed her firmly against her front door.

"You know" Ruth said in between kisses, "I don't. Really want. Coffee."

"Me neither." Harry growled as he started kissing her neck.

"I just want you. Only you." Ruth said, slightly shocked by the boldness of her own statement.

Harry stopped what he was doing and, still slightly out of breath, looked her in the eyes. "Are you sure about this Ruth? I meant what I said you know, about doing this properly and taking things slow. I don't want you to feel obliged to rush into anything you don't really want to do."

"All this just now," she said, "did that look and feel as though I was doing something I didn't want to do?" she asked. "I really appreciate how you've been putting my needs and my feelings before your own and how considerate you've been with me throughout. But we've been taking things slow for years, and where did that lead us? Absolutely nowhere. So sod the waiting. I want you, in every sense of the word. And I want you now."

She kissed him once more, as though she felt she needed to give him an extra confirmation of what she'd just said.

And for one of the rare moments in his life, Harry Pearce was in fact rendered speechless. He wasn't sure what to do or say after this unexpected declaration, and he didn't actually move until Ruth had opened the front door and pulled him in by his tie, kicking the door shut behind them.

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**Please review :) xx**


	4. Chapter 4

**First of all a massive thank you for all the gorgeous reviews I received for chapter 3. The amount really outlived my expectations! And secondly, I apologise in advance for the strangeness of this chapter. It's made up of a few short bits which I really needed to get out there in order to move the story along, but it might make the chapter as a whole seem a bit strange or incoherent. Anyway, hope you'll still enjoy it. There's plenty more to come!**

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Ruth awoke the next morning wrapped in Harry's strong arms and she couldn't remember a time when she had felt better. She turned around to face him, and found that he was already awake and smiling at her.

He leaned in to kiss her. "Morning sweetheart."

She snuggled even closer to him and buried her face in his chest. "Morning" she mumbled.

Harry drew her ever closer to him, wanting them to be as closely together as they could possibly be. He couldn't remember a time when he had felt such intense happiness, and he wished they could stay like this forever. It still amazed him how their lives could have made such a turnaround in just a month's time. A month ago he would never have dared to think that they'd ever be where they were now.

"Hmm we should probably get up soon," Ruth groaned. "Not that I want to. I just want us to stay like this for the rest of the weekend."

"So do I Ruth, but I don't think my replacement is going to appreciate it if you don't show up for work" Harry grinned.

"Bugger the replacement guy Harry. I prefer the real boss anyway."

"Oh really?" Harry said teasingly. "Well can you tell me what exactly is so great about him then. Should I get jealous?"

"Well," Ruth said, "he's charming, handsome, fiercely loyal, and he looks amazing in blue. So yes, definitely someone to be jealous of." she teased.

"He sounds like a great bloke, I'd love to meet him someday," Harry murmured, before kissing her again.

They stayed like that for a little while longer, until Ruth finally started to wriggle out of his tight embrace and climbed out of bed, looking for something to wear. She eventually opted for Harry's shirt which had been discarded on her bedroom floor at some point during the night.

"What do you want for breakfast?" she asked as she walked over to the bed, handing him his boxers.

"Nothing, just you," he replied as he grabbed her hand and tried to pull her back onto the bed.

Ruth shrieked with surprise at his sudden action and landed quite ungracefully on top of him.

"You already had me. Several times in fact if my memory serves me well." She whispered seductively into his ear.

"I certainly did," he growled, rolling her onto her back.

* * *

An hour later they finally managed to drag themselves out of bed, and Ruth, still wearing Harry's shirt, padded into the kitchen to put the kettle on and feed the cats whilst Harry took a shower and made an attempt to retrieve the rest of his clothing which were strewn all over Ruth's bedroom floor.

They had breakfast in the kitchen, sipping their tea while the cats mucked about on the floor around their feet. Both were amazed at how easily they started to slip into a kind of routine. Even though all of this, this kind of togetherness was still new, it felt natural. It felt as though things had always been this way. Neither really wanted the moment to pass.

Their peaceful morning was unfortunately interrupted by Ruth's mobile phone. It was Dimitri, telling her that they had an emergency and they needed her on the Grid asap. After explaining the situation to Harry she quickly got dressed while he loaded the dishwasher for her, and before they knew it they were both out the door.

"I'm sorry about all this," Ruth said. "I had hoped to have the entire morning to spend with you."

"There's no need to apologise," Harry replied. "I, of all people, should understand the importance of your job."

He kissed her briefly, but passionately. "Now don't keep them waiting," he said, smiling.

"Alright, I'll call you later then," she said, kissing him once more before hurrying off to the nearest bus stop.

* * *

It was already past midnight when Harry's phone rang. He didn't need to check the caller ID to know who was on the other end.

"Tough day?" he asked as he answered his phone.

Ruth let out a big sigh. "Horrible day. I'm absolutely exhausted but I don't have enough energy left to tell you all that's happened."

"Then go and get some sleep now, and I'll come by tomorrow." Harry said.

"Ok then" Ruth said, trying to stifle a yawn. "I love you."

Harry smiled as he pictured Ruth, curled up on the sofa, probably with Fidget curled in her lap, trying her very best not to fall asleep there and then. "I love you too. Sweet dreams my darling."

He hung up his phone, downed the rest of his whiskey, switched off the lights and headed upstairs.

Ruth hung up the phone, lifted Fidget from her lap, and stumbled towards her bedroom. She was asleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

* * *

The next morning Harry came by, as promised, and he had brought Ruth some breakfast. He had waited outside in his car for a while, making sure Beth had left the house, before he dared to knock on her front door. Ruth answered the door, still in her pyjamas, and looking a little worse for wear.

"Are you ok?" Harry asked as he stood in the hallway, taking off his coat.

"Just tired, that's all," Ruth answered. "Though I'll probably come down with the flu next week."

Harry raised a questioning eyebrow. "Ruth, I know you're fond of planning things, but please don't tell me you've scheduled in your yearly bout of flu."

Ruth started laughing, which gradually transformed into another yawn. "No, even I wouldn't go that far. However, I do always tend to get the flu in the first week of October. It's almost like clockwork. I don't know how or if that's even possible, but it happens to me every year. Which means my annual flu should rear its ugly head next week."

Harry couldn't help but smile as she told him this. Another thing to add to the list of Ruth's peculiarities and eccentricities, and yet another reason why he loved her so much.

"Such a shame" he said, "because I was planning to take you to that new exhibition on Islamic art in the British Museum this Wednesday, but since you'll be in bed with the flu then I suppose we'll have to postpone."

Ruth's eyes lit up at the mention of the exhibition. "You want to come with me to that? Won't you be bored?" she asked.

"I'll take my chances" Harry grinned. "But what about your flu?" He asked.

"I might just try and put it off until the end of the week," Ruth said. "Now where's my breakfast?"

* * *

On Monday and Tuesday Harry didn't get a chance to see Ruth. She hadn't been able to tell him much, but he knew there was some kind of great terrorist threat which kept everyone on the Grid occupied round the clock. So he spend his days rummaging in his house, taking Scarlet on endless trips to the park, and drinking more whiskey than he should. Harry wasn't used to having this much time to himself, and knowing that he'd rather spend his time with Ruth and that the inquiry was looming made him restless. He couldn't wait for it to be Wednesday so he could see Ruth again.

On Wednesday morning, however, his phone rang. It was Ruth. She didn't sound too well.

"I'm really sorry but I'm afraid I have to cancel our plans," she said. "It's the flu. I really really wanted to go, but I really don't feel up to it."

"It's alright Ruth, don't worry about it," Harry reassured her. "I'll come round straight away. Is there anything you need?"

"I just need to sleep," Ruth said. "And perhaps it's best if you didn't come over Harry. Not because I don't want you to, because I do," she quickly added. "But I don't want you to get sick as well."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked. "I really hate the thought of you being all alone when you're not feeling well. And you shouldn't be worried about me you know, I've survived things much worse than the flu, so I think I'll manage."

Harry's genuine concern for her well being made Ruth love him even more than she thought possible. "I'm so tired and all I really want to do is sleep," she said. "But I'll promise to keep my phone on my night stand so I can call you if I need anything," she reassured him.

This seemed to put Harry's mind at ease just a little bit. "Try and get some rest sweetheart. If I don't hear from you I'll call you again tomorrow morning. I love you."

"I love you too." She said, and hung up. Ruth put the phone down by her bed, switched off the light and was asleep within minutes.

Harry had only just put down the phone when it rang again. He figured it'd probably be Ruth again. He was glad he checked the caller ID before he answered his phone. It was the Home Secretary.

* * *

**More soon. Please review if you've got a spare moment :) xx**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks again for all your lovely reviews. It really encouraged me to keep writing, which is why the next chapter is up so soon. Not as fluffy this time, hope I'm forgiven for that.**

* * *

When Ruth awoke next she felt a bit better than before. She checked the clock on her night stand and was surprised to see that it had gone 4 o'clock. She had slept for most of the day which was highly unusual. As comfortable as her bed may be, she decided to get up anyway, for fear she wouldn't be able to sleep at all tonight if she didn't.

She padded into the kitchen to make herself some tea, and then settled on the sofa with an overexcited Fidget and Muffin climbing all over her. Eventually one settled in her lap and the other by her feet, both purring contentedly.

Ruth figured she should probably eat something, but just the thought of food made her feel queasy again, so she decided against it. Instead she remained calmly on the sofa, sipping her tea and generally enjoying this little moment to herself.

She never called in sick, and frankly she had felt quite guilty for doing so. She had dragged herself out of bed this morning with the intention of going to work, no matter how awful she felt. Beth, however, had told her just how terrible she really looked, and had more or less forced her to call in sick. Initially Ruth had protested, telling Beth she was fine and that she didn't need a day off. But Beth had been very persistent, and eventually Ruth had caved in. And now she was glad that she had done so. This particular bout of flu was a lot worse than it normally was. She felt horrible.

Though it didn't stop her from feeling guilty for missing work. They hadn't yet been appointed a new Section Chief, so the core team was made up of her, Beth, Dimitri and Tariq. Alec had offered to stay on, if only temporarily, but the DG hadn't approved it. And Harry's replacement didn't do much work, so it was safe to say that they were horribly understaffed.

Last week Ruth had had enough of Booker spending endless hours in Harry's office, seemingly doing nothing. The man always locked the office door behind him when he left, showing just how paranoid he was and how much he distrusted every single member of Section D. What he didn't know, however, was that Ruth had her own key. So one night she had slipped into his office, and after checking if Harry's drinks cabinet had been left alone, she had placed a tiny bug in his computer.

She knew she shouldn't be spying on a fellow officer, least of all a superior officer, but she just had to know what he was up to. And she wasn't sure whether to be relieved or angry with the results she got. Apparently Booker spend most of his hours supposedly doing important work on his computer, while he was in fact just playing endless games of Solitaire. At least he wasn't up to anything nasty which had reassured Ruth, but she decided to file the information for future reference anyway. Perhaps it could come in handy sometime.

Ruth grabbed a book off the coffee table, deciding that if she would be spending the rest of the day inside, she might as well catch up on some reading. It was nothing too complicated she was reading, a novel called _*The House of the Mosque _by the Iranian/Dutch writer Kader Abdolah, describing the history of an Iranian family before and after the revolution. She thought it was a fantastic book and so far it had been an easy read, but today she couldn't seem to concentrate. After struggling to read just a couple of pages she decided to put the book away again.

Perhaps writing in her journal for a bit would be a better idea. But again Ruth found it difficult to make sense of her incoherent thoughts and feelings, so after only a few quick scribbles the journal lay abandoned next to the book.

Ruth sighed and put the radio on instead. She felt restless, and not just because she wasn't at work. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she sensed that something was amiss. Over the past couple of weeks she had wondered how long it would be before things would take a turn for the worse. Work hadn't been too great, but her personal life all the more. She marvelled at how much things had changed between her and Harry in such a short timespan. Their time spent together had been nothing but wonderful, which made Ruth happier than she could ever remember feeling. But it frightened her beyond belief as well. Not used to this degree of happiness in her personal life, she wondered how long it would be before everything was taken from her again.

She often chastised herself for having such a pessimistic view of things, thereby ruining perfectly good moments for herself. She knew she should try and keep these feelings at bay, but given her history it wasn't surprising she felt this way. No wonder it was one of the key aspects she was working on with her therapist.

Ruth was currently having two sessions a week with a psychologist, and after nearly four weeks she had the feeling that they were definitely getting somewhere. Initially it had been challenging opening up to a stranger about every aspect of her life, especially the difficult and darker moments.

She knew the shock and pain of her father's death had left her damaged at a young age, but only now had it become evident just how much damage it had done to her. Most of her failed relationships and difficulties with the opposite sex in general could be traced back to the emotional scars her father's untimely passing had caused.

It explained for a large part why she had kept Harry at arm's length for such a long time, even though she loved him more than she thought possible. It also made it clear why it had been relatively easy for her to have a relationship with George. She was never in love with him, which, as cruel as it may sound, made it easier for her to be with him. There had been no intense feeling of love threatening to overwhelm her at any moment, there had been no reason for her to run away. This discovery had shocked her at first, it had made her feel terrible. But she had slowly started to accept it. Most things regarding George and her life in exile were now clear to her. It was no longer a big mess of thoughts and emotions that she couldn't make sense of. She was learning to compartmentalise, and it had lifted a huge weight off her shoulders.

Apart from what had happened with Lucas and Albany, the past five weeks since the day Harry had driven her home from the hospital had been wonderful. She knew the inquiry was looming, but so far she had been successful at blocking those thoughts from her mind. She refused to let work ruin yet another chance at happiness.

Work had been relatively quiet, apart from the last couple of days, which meant she'd had plenty of time to spend with Harry. They really had been making the most of these rare occasions where they both had some extra time on their hands. Ruth wasn't putting in any more hours at work than were strictly necessary, and Harry obviously had all time time in the world now that he was suspended and the inquiry appeared to be moving forward very slowly. They had been able to spend hours on end with each other, just enjoying one another's presence without being interrupted by anything or anyone.

Suddenly an unnerving thought planted itself in her mind. At first she shook it off as something completely irrational, but for some reason it just wouldn't leave her alone. She went off in search of her diary which was, as usual, nowhere to be found. Eventually she managed to retrieve it, lodged up between some books and a couple of Beth's magazines. She quickly skimmed through the pages covering the past couple of weeks, and her heart skipped a beat as the information revealed only confirmed her suspicion even more. She shook her head and closed her diary, dismissing the thought altogether.

* * *

Half an hour later Ruth was dressed and ready to face the terrible weather outside. She needed to run a few errants, so she decided to do it now, before either the weather or her flu took a turn for the worse. Even though it was nice having Beth for a flatmate, because she was good company and made sure the fridge was always stocked with decent wine, she hadn't been blessed with any domestic insight. They were out of toothpaste and toilet paper, and there was hardly any food left either.

She returned an hour later laden with bags of groceries and other purchases, soaked to the skin because of course it had to start raining when she was halfway between the bus stop and her flat. The shopping trip, in combination with the bad weather, had worn her out completely and she couldn't wait to crawl back into bed for the rest of the evening.

Ruth quickly put the shopping away and disappeared into the bathroom to rid herself of her wet clothes and take a hot shower. She re-emerged a little while later, wearing a fluffy white bathrobe and slippers. She still wasn't feeling well, but the shower had done her some good and at least it had managed to warm her up again. She walked intro the kitchen to put the kettle on, then pottered around the flat nervously for a bit, tidying a few things away here and there. She jumped slightly when she heard the timer in the kitchen go off.

She slowly walked back to the bathroom, her heart pounding. She stretched out her arm and picked the unassuming white attribute from its place on the sink. Ruth let out an audible gasp as she glanced at it and let it drop back into the sink. She had only looked at it briefly, but she was sure her eyes hadn't been misleading her. It was there.

The thin blue line.

* * *

**Ooh I'm being mean, aren't I? Sorry about that. Please review :)**

_*The House of the Mosque is a fantastic book, and I can recommend it to anyone!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Once again a big thanks for all your gorgeous reviews. They really encourage me to write more and to write faster! Just a bit of a filler chapter this, but I hope it's enjoyable anyway.**

* * *

Ruth was pacing the living room, her cats jumping at her feet, thinking it was a fun game. But she didn't even notice them. Her heart was beating so fast she feared it might burst out of her chest at any moment. She didn't know what to do, didn't even know what to think.

She was pregnant with Harry's baby, after little more than a month together. It certainly wasn't what you would call an ideal situation. She wasn't even sure how it could have happened. They had definitely used contraception every single time, she was sure of that.

She went off in search of her phone. She needed to talk to him, right then. And suddenly it dawned on her. That first time, after he had driven her home from the hospital. It could only have happened then. It had been five weeks ago, so the dates matched. And she honestly couldn't remember whether they had used contraception that time or not. It had been such a spur of the moment thing and neither of them had been thinking straight. She was just surprised she hadn't given it a second thought afterwards.

Finally she managed to find her phone and pressed speed dial for Harry's mobile. It immediately went to voicemail. She tried again. Still voicemail. _He could just be in an area with bad reception_ she thought, hopeful. So she tried once more, but still no luck. Ruth tried his landline, hoping he'd be at home. But again, no answer.

_Typical, _she thought. _The one time I need him most, and he's unreachable. _

Ruth sighed and sat down heavily on the sofa, hugging her knees to her chest. She had been right in thinking that her careless happiness would be short lived after all. Everything would change now, and it terrified her beyond belief. She was afraid to tell Harry. She had no idea if he even wanted this. Hell, she wasn't even sure if she wanted this, if she was ready for it.

She glanced at the clock. Beth would probably be home soon, and she didn't feel like facing her, or anyone else for that matter, at the moment. So she grabbed her book which was still lying on the coffee table, quickly fed the cats and retired to her bedroom. But she couldn't read, nor could she sleep. She was far too restless, and the fact that she couldn't reach Harry wasn't helping. He had told her to call him if she needed anything, so she didn't understand why his phone had been switched off. If she'd been feeling any better she would have driven over there right now, but as it was she didn't feel up to it. She decided she would go round here in the morning if she still hadn't been able to reach him by then.

Ruth switched off the light and lay down, but sleep wouldn't come even though she was exhausted. She placed one hand over her still flat stomach, marvelling at the fact that there was actual life growing inside her. She wondered what their child would look like, and if it would take after her or Harry.

After a couple of hours she was slowly but surely getting used to the idea. Yes the timing was bad, and not just because they hadn't been together long, but because of the inquiry as well. Nobody had any in which direction the inquiry would go, and just how far reaching the consequences would be for Harry. The thought that Harry might not be there for her and their child frightened her immensely. But, disregarding all of this, the thought of her and Harry having a baby together filled her with immense joy. It wasn't as if, in all those years, she hadn't dreamt about it. Because she had, frequently.

Ruth thought back to the day when Harry had been shot by Tom. She hadn't been lying to the nurse when she said she was in love with him. Because even back then she had already fallen for him. And the lie about her having his child had come as naturally as breathing. She hadn't felt nervous or embarrassed by it. Quite the contrary in fact, she had enjoyed it. For a moment back then she had wished that it wasn't just a lie to get a message to him. She had wished that it were true. And now the lie had become reality.

She heard the front door open and close not long after she had gone to bed. Beth knocked on her bedroom door asking her how she was. Ruth answered she was feeling better, but didn't get up. She appreciated her friend's concern, but really didn't feel up to having a light hearted conversation with her just now. Finally Ruth managed to drift off into a peaceful slumber, dreaming of a child with bright blue eyes and curly blonde hair.

* * *

The next morning Ruth started to panic. She had awoken early feeling absolutely horrible, which had resulted in frequent trips to the bathroom. It had woken Beth as well, who immediately started fussing over her. She tried to reassure her that yes she was fine, and no she didn't need to see a doctor straightaway. Bet didn't look at all convinced.

Afterwards she had tried calling Harry again, but he still didn't answer his phone. She told Beth she wouldn't be in that morning, but that she shouldn't worry and she promised she would try and be back at work in the afternoon. But first, which of course she hadn't told Beth, she was going to go over to Harry's house. She'd had enough of this.

Ruth rang the doorbell a couple of times, and even went as far as banging on the door and calling out his name. Coming to the conclusion that he really wasn't at home, and that her behaviour would only attract the attention of nosy neighbours, she decided to pick the lock.

She was inside in no time, surprised at how easy it actually was to break into a Spook's house. _He should do something about his security measures, _she thought to herself.

"Harry, are you there?" She called out. There was no answer, except for the little ball of fur which came running into the hallway enthusiastically.

Ruth crouched down to pat Scarlet on the head. "Hello girl, where's your master then eh?"

Ruth quickly inspected the rooms of his house. There didn't seem to be anything out of place, nothing out of the ordinary. Upon entering the kitchen she saw Scarlet's bowl of water was empty, and it seemed as though she hadn't had anything to eat in a while either. She rummaged through the cupboards and managed to retrieve the small Jack Russell's food, who started eating ravenously as soon as the bowl was put in front of her. Ruth gave her some fresh water as well, before taking her phone out of her pocket.

She dialled a number, gave all the right codes, and was put through in no time.

"Towers" the voice at the other end said.

"Home Secretary, it's Ruth Evershed."

It took him a moment to realise who he was speaking to. "Ah yes, Ms. Evershed. What can I do for you?"

Ruth took a deep breath before she answered. "Well, I haven't been able to reach Harry since yesterday afternoon. I'm at his house right now and there's no sign of a struggle or forced entry, but his bed hasn't been slept in and his dog was left alone and hasn't been fed for quite some time. So I've no idea where he could have gone off to."

"I see," the HS said. "Well I don't know where he is either, but if it's any consolation, I'm sure he's fine. All I know is that the inquiry was sped up yesterday and that they were taking Harry in for questioning again."

Ruth didn't know whether she was scared or relieved. "So, you don't actually know where they're holding him?" she asked.

"I'm afraid I don't. I've always been on Harry's side, so I wasn't considered suitable to take part in the inquiry. However, I did call him yesterday morning to warn him, but I'm afraid this would've been only minutes before he was picked up for questioning. So I'm afraid I can't help you any further Ms. Evershed." He said. "But I'm sure they'll release him pretty soon," he quickly added. "As far as I know the inquiry is far from over."

"Yes, I was afraid of that" Ruth sighed. "Thank you for the information Home Secretary, you've been most helpful."

She hung up and stuffed the phone back into her pocket. She didn't know what to think. She only hoped they wouldn't keep him in custody _god knows where_ for the duration of the inquiry. However, this did explain why she hadn't been able to reach him at all. It hadn't been his fault, and she was relieved to know that.

Deciding there was nothing more she could do at Harry's house, she grabbed Scarlet's leash, attached it to her collar, and guided the overexcited little dog outside. She locked the front door behind her with a spare key she had found in Harry's office and embarked on her walk back home with Scarlet dancing around her, happy to be finally let out of the house.

* * *

Ruth decided to stay at home and not go into work at all for the rest of the day. Normally she wouldn't even have considered doing anything of the sorts, but at the moment she frankly couldn't care less. She knew it could be days before she heard anything, but she still had the idle hope that Harry would be back sometime during the day. She sat on the sofa folding her laundry as she watched Scarlet and the cats chase each other around the living room. The cats didn't seem too pleased about her bringing that little hairy monster home.

She smiled as she watched how the two cats had finally managed to ambush Scarlet who, in turn, was running as fast as she possibly could in order to shake them off. Within a few hours the house had turned into a hectic mess by just adding a small dog to the equation. Ruth wondered for a moment just how hectic everything would become once a baby was added to the mix.

Her train of thought was interrupted when the doorbell rang. She got up quickly and made for the hallway, her heart suddenly beating a lot faster and her stomach churning with anticipation. She practically yanked the door open and looked straight into Harry's smiling face.

Without saying a word she threw herself at him, flinging both arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest, holding him as close as she possibly could.

* * *

**Sorry about the lack of action in this chapter, I know it wasn't terribly exciting. Next chapter, however, should be entirely different because Ruth will finally tell Harry!**

**Please review :)  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm truly amazed by the huge amount of reviews I received for chapter 6. Thank you so much for all the lovely and encouraging messages. They mean a lot to me!**

* * *

Ruth shuffled back slightly awkwardly after greeting Harry in a very enthusiastic manner. Harry, however, was still smiling.

"I should disappear more often, if it means I'll be greeted like this every time I come back." He joked.

Ruth shot him a serious look. "That's not funny Harry. I was out of my mind with worry because I couldn't reach you."

"No you're right, and I'm sorry. I'll try and make sure it never happens again." He said, and kissed her briefly.

He walked into the hallway and Ruth closed the door behind him. It was then that she noticed the bottle he carried in his right hand.

"Why the champagne?" she asked. "Are we celebrating something?"

"We certainly are," he replied. "But let me put this in the fridge first."

Harry made his way into the kitchen, put the bottle into the fridge, and then returned and lead Ruth into the sitting room. They sat down closely together on the sofa. Suddenly Harry felt something jump up against his leg. It was Scarlet.

"Hello old girl," he cooed as he scratched her behind her ears. "Has Ruth been taking good care of you? I'm sure she has."

"You still haven't told me what it is we're supposed to be celebrating," Ruth said, trying to draw Harry's attention away from the dog and back to her.

"Oh yes, sorry. I got distracted for a moment there." He took her hands in his. "The inquiry is over," he said.

Ruth's eyes widened. "What? But how? Are you serious?" she stuttered.

Harry nodded. "They would have had more than enough evidence to charge me, that's for sure. But there's one big problem: I know far too much. I know every sordid little detail, every affair from Thames House to Whitehall and back again. So whatever they do, whatever they charge me with, I'll always have something up my sleeve to create an even bigger scandal. They know I could bring down the government within a couple of hours if I open my mouth. They're afraid I'll do something that could harm the image of the current government, which, to be honest, isn't that great to begin with. So they inquiry has ended before it's even properly begun." He explained.

"So what happens now?" Ruth asked. She still couldn't quite believe what she had just heard.

"It's a slapped wrist, nothing more." Harry answered. "I am to be reinstated as Section Head on full pay. I even get to keep my Knighthood, even though I couldn't care less about that. Only I need to give the Home Secretary daily briefings of all that goes on in Section D, and every important decision I make has to be approved by the DG himself."

Ruth nodded, still trying to process everything Harry had just told her. "So basically you get to do your job, only you're not really doing your job because you have to ask others for permission all the time?"

Harry smiled, his eyes sparkling mischievously. "Ah, but that's just it. I'm going to do exactly as I've been told to do. I'll report any detail I can lay my hands on, no matter how insignificant. I'll consult the DG on every minor decision I need to make, until it drives them round the bend. Trust me, within a month they'll be telling me to bugger off, do my job like I always have done and leave them in peace."

By now Ruth was smiling. The plan was so typically Harry and she was sure it was going to work.

"When are you coming back to the Grid?" she asked enthusiastically.

"Officially next week, but I think tomorrow will do just fine." He answered. "I need to check if my office and single malt are still intact."

"That's good," Ruth said. "The Grid hasn't been the same without you there."

"Luckily you were still there to keep an eye on things," he said, grinning "or else Dimitri and Tariq would surely have blown up the place by now."

He leaned forward and kissed her softly. Ruth sighed into the kiss and moved closer to Harry. After they finally broke apart she lay her head against his chest, feeling the faint thump of his heart, and sighed contently.

"I was so worried when I couldn't reach you," she murmured, her face half buried in his chest.

"I know, and I'm so sorry about that," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. "When CO19 came to whisk me away the first thing they did was take away my phone. I wasn't allowed a phone call either, so I had no means of contacting you."

"It's ok, you don't have to explain it to me Harry. I know the procedures, and I'm not mad at you. I was just frightened," she said. "I went to your house this morning to look for you and I noticed Scarlet had been left behind without food or drink. That's when I knew something was wrong."

"Poor little dog," Harry mumbled. "They wouldn't even listen to me when I tried to tell them she needed to be looked after. She must've felt so alone."

"Luckily it wasn't for long," Ruth reassured him. "I took her home with me immediately. But not before I had phoned the Home Secretary."

Harry looked surprised. "You phoned Towers?"

"Well yes," she said. "I figured he would know where you were. But it turned out he didn't, only that it had to do with the inquiry. He had no idea how long they would keep you in for. He said it could be hours, but it could easily be days or even weeks. And that's when I got really frightened." By now she had started rambling in a very Ruth-like manner. "I mean, imagine if they'd kept you locked up for weeks without telling me anything. I wouldn't have known how to cope, especially right now…" she abruptly stopped talking, silently cursing herself for slipping up.

He raised a questioning eyebrow. "What do you mean 'especially right now'?"

Ruth bit her bottom lip and tried to avoid Harry's gaze. "Nothing. It can wait. Right now we're celebrating your good news."

Harry sighed. "Ruth, I couldn't possibly open that bottle and celebrate, all the while knowing that there was something bothering you."

Ruth shook her head and moved away slightly. "Please Harry, not now. We'll talk tomorrow."

"No, we talk right here and right now," he said, looking sternly.

"In your absence I found out something." Ruth said. " Remember my flu?" she asked.

Harry nodded. "Yes of course, you were sick as a dog."

"Well, it turns out it wasn't the flu." She said.

Harry looked shocked. A million different scenarios shot through his mind, each of them just as horrible as the next.

"You're not sick are you? Please tell me it's nothing serious." He sounded frightened.

"It's very serious, but I'm not sick." She reassured him.

By now Harry was running out of ideas about what could be the matter with Ruth. "What is it then?" he asked.

Ruth fell silent. She didn't know how to say it. It was stupid really. She who spoke countless languages, but she couldn't find a way to say those two very simple words to the man she loved. Just two words, but they would change both their lives forever.

Harry took her hands in his and squeezed them lightly, encouraging her to continue.

_This is ridiculous, _Ruth thought to herself. _Just say it. Quickly, like ripping off a band-aid. _

She took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

Now it was Harry's turn to be speechless. It really was the last thing he had expected her to say. In fact, the thought had never even crossed his mind. He wasn't sure what to think. So far he had treasured their time spent together, but it had only been a matter of weeks, little more than a month. Oddly enough, the thought of having a baby with Ruth was something that filled him with immense joy. It wasn't as if he had never thought about it, because he had, frequently.

He snapped out of his daydream when he realised he hadn't said anything since Ruth's revelation, who, in turn, was now looking at him with pleading eyes. "Harry, please say something, anything." She half-whispered.

He cleared his throat. "Well, it seems this day is full of surprises."

His words didn't have the desired effect on her. Ruth looked as if she was about to cry.

Harry quickly rephrased his sentence. "I mean, this day is full of _pleasant _surprises." He said, and he smiled.

"Really?" she asked, still sounding unsure. "You don't think it's far too soon, or that it's a terrible idea altogether?"

"It might be a bit soon," he said, "but to me it doesn't feel like we've only been together for such a short time. Let's face it, in a way we've been an old married couple for years. It's only recently that we became a couple in _every_ sense of the word."

Ruth nodded in agreement. He was absolutely right, and she felt the same way.

Harry continued. "Perhaps the timing isn't so bad after all. I'm certainly not getting any younger, and I'm sorry to say this my dear, but neither are you."

"That's true," she said. "I'll be 41 next year. I never thought that if I ever had a child, that it would be this late in life. So I figured that if I felt a little old to be doing this, you probably wouldn't want this at all. And that's what frightened me, that it could tear us apart."

Harry cupped her face with both hands and kissed her, brushing away a solitary tear with his thumb as it rolled down her cheek. "Nothing could tear us apart, ever," he whispered. "You are my second chance at love and happiness, and I would be bloody stupid to let it slip away."

He outstretched his hand, then let it hover in midair as he sought out her eyes, silently asking her for permission. She nodded her consent, and he placed his right hand on her lower abdomen. "And this baby, our baby, is my second chance at fatherhood. I'm not sure I deserve it, because I was a bad husband and a lousy father the first time round. But you're giving me a second chance, an opportunity to do it right this time." He said, and she was sure she could see a few tears gather in his eyes as well.

"Harry I'm scared," she said, her bottom lip trembling, desperately trying to stop her tears from falling.

"I know you are, I'm scared too." He said. "But are you happy?" he asked.

Ruth nodded. "I am."

"Then we'll be alright," he said and took her in his arms, smiling contentedly. "We'll be just fine."

They sat like that for a while, just enjoying the feeling of being snuggled up closely against each other.

Suddenly Harry looked up. "Oh, so no champagne then?"

Ruth shook her head. "No champagne."

He kissed the top of her head and got up. "In that case I'll go and put the kettle on."

* * *

**More to come. Please review :) xx**


	8. Chapter 8

**First of all I'm so sorry it took so long getting this chapter up. I'm 2 weeks into the new semester now and things are already starting to become pretty hectic. I will try and make sure the next chapter won't take quite so long.**

* * *

"So what happens now?" Ruth asked, still curled up next to Harry on the sofa, her head resting on his shoulder.

Harry was absent-mindedly drawing circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. "It's nearly time for supper," he said. "And tomorrow we will go into work like we always have."

Ruth sighed. "That's not what I meant. I mean, what are we going to do? Where are we going to live for starters?"

"Oh I see," he said. "Well, I'm assuming you won't want to stay here."

Ruth shook her head. "I don't want to stay here."

"We could live in my house," Harry continued. It's got two extra bedrooms and a garden, so there's plenty of space. Unless you don't want to live there of course." He sounded unsure.

"Why wouldn't I want to live in your house?" Ruth asked, a little surprised.

"I don't know," he said. "Perhaps you would want a new house, start afresh." He said.

Ruth shook her head. "I don't want that. Finding a house, buying it, selling yours, packing, moving and then unpacking again. It would take up so much of our time. Time which we don't have. And besides, I like your house."

Harry smiled. "That's settled then."

"Unless," Ruth said hesitantly, "you actually want to move?"

"No I don't," Harry said. "But I would have done it in a heartbeat if it had made you happy."

Ruth smiled and reached up to kiss him. "There's no need. Living in your house will make me very happy."

"_Our _house" Harry corrected her, smiling.

Ruth nodded. "Yes, our house."

* * *

The next day they went into work, _together_. Everyone was surprised, but of course very relieved to see Harry.

"It's good to have you back Harry," Dimitri said as they shook hands.

"I'm glad you're back," Tariq said, seemingly having an inner debate about whether to hug Harry or just shake his hand.

"Thanks Tariq," he said, patting him on the shoulder in a very fatherly manner.

"The Grid wasn't the same without you," Beth said, surprising herself and everyone else by actually hugging Harry briefly, only to step back seconds later and looking slightly embarrassed.

"Right, that's all but one formality dealt with. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to remove a certain replacement from my office." Harry said and he walked off.

Booker emerged shortly afterwards and, without acknowledging the presence of anyone else on the Grid, quickly exited through the pods.

Dimitri breathed a sigh of relief. "Well I'm glad he's finally buggered off."

Ruth, Tariq and Beth couldn't help but laugh at his remark. They couldn't agree more.

* * *

There was some resistance higher up about Harry returning to work a week early, but after Booker made it clear that he didn't wish to stay with Section D a minute longer Harry's return was officially approved and things could go back to normal. Or at least somewhat back to normal.

A big terrorist threat kept the whole team working practically round the clock for 5 days straight, ending in a narrowly avoided bombing of Terminal 4 at Heathrow. And if that wasn't bad enough, their work routine was rudely interrupted several times by Harry's ad hoc meetings with either the HS or the DG. All of them knew they shouldn't complain because at least they had gotten Harry back, but it was seriously getting in the way of their work efficiency.

And to make matters worse, Harry was continually asking Ruth if she was ok and kept telling her to take it easy. Normally Ruth would have found it endearing, but in the face of a national crisis she couldn't help but getting increasingly annoyed by this.

It wasn't long before she came barging into his office, without knocking of course, and closed the door behind her.

Harry was reading through a file on his desk. "Any news?" he asked without looking up.

"No not yet," she said. "But I do need to talk to you."

He looked up, looking alarmed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," she reassured him. "But you need to stop mothering me and start treating me like any other member of your team."

"But you're not just any member of my team Ruth," he said. "You're different."

Ruth smiled. She had planned on giving him an earful and telling him to back off a bit while they were at work, but standing there in his office she once again realised she couldn't stay mad at him for long.

"Yes, well just try and make it a bit less obvious then. We're starting to get funny looks."

"I hadn't noticed," he said. He only had eyes for Ruth.

"You're out there on the Grid every time I even contemplate leaving my desk, asking me if I'm alright and telling people to fetch stuff for me so I don't have to. They'd be lousy spooks if they didn't realise something was going on." She said, but she was still smiling.

Harry got up and made his way over to where she was standing. It was only then that he noticed just how tired she looked. Her hair was messy, she had bags under her eyes, and her face was so pale it was almost translucent. He took hold of her hands and brought them up to his lips, kissing her knuckles softly.

"I'm sorry" he half-whispered. "I'm just worried about you, that's all."

"I know you mean well," she sighed. "But I need to do my job properly."

"Which is why I'm sending you home right now." He said.

Her eyes shot up at him. "What, why? You can't do that, we're in the middle of a crisis Harry."

"Only for a couple of hours," he sussed. "I need my officers at their very best, which means they need to sleep, have a shower and have something to eat. So I'm sending them home one by one, starting with you."

"I'm fine," Ruth protested. "There's so much stuff I still need to do. I can't possibly leave now."

"Ruth, my driver is going to take you home, and you need to promise me that you'll rest for a few hours. I'm still your superior officer and that's an order."

Ruth looked away. She didn't know whether to cry or yell at him. She was contemplating a combination of both when Harry spoke to her again.

"Please Ruth," he practically begged her. "I know you feel as though you have to prove yourself, but there's no need. You don't need to prove yourself to me or any of the others. We all know how valuable you are to the team, which is why we need you at your best. So please tell me you will go home."

Ruth turned back to him and nodded. "Ok," she whispered. "I'll go home."

"Thank you," Harry said, cupping her face with his hands and kissing her softly.

"You need to take good care of yourself and the baby." He said, lovingly placing one hand on her stomach.

"I know," she said, covering his hand with one of her own. "And I will."

She kissed him once more and left his office. She then made her way over to her desk, quickly grabbed her things and went home.

* * *

Three days later and crisis averted they were finally back at Harry's house. Both had been so exhausted they'd barely been able to string together a coherent sentence, so they'd just collapsed on the bed and had slept, uninterrupted, until the next morning.

Harry had gotten up briefly to let Scarlet out and make tea, but now they were both back in bed, Harry reading the Sunday paper and Ruth engrossed in one of her many books. It was peculiar how easily they could switch from national crisis to domesticity.

Suddenly Ruth put her book away. "I haven't even had time to pack yet."

Harry looked up from his newspaper. "Well we have been kind of busy these past few days," he said.

"Yes I know, but still," Ruth continued. "There's so much I need to do. I should start making a list."

Ruth moved to get up but Harry stopped her. "Is it possible for you to switch off your brain for just one day?" he asked.

Ruth shook her head. "We never have a lot of spare time. I should make the most of it while I can. I haven't even told Beth I'm moving yet!"

"Bugger that," he said. "You need to rest, relax and unwind. We both do. You can make your list and do your packing some other time."

"But.." Ruth started to protest, but was stopped when Harry drew her in for a passionate kiss.

"Now don't tell me," he murmured as he moved down to kiss her neck, "that you'd rather spend your free Sunday planning things when we could be doing this."

Ruth soon caved in as Harry continued his explorations downwards, all thoughts of packing and moving long forgotten.

* * *

**More soon. Please review! xx**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm so sorry about the massive delay, again. The interference of real life really sucks sometimes. I didn't get a lot of response for the last chapter, so hopefully this one will be better received. And thanks again to all you lovely people who continue to read and review, it means a lot to me!**

* * *

The whole team were back on the Grid early the next morning, in spite of the incredibly stressful couple of days they had just had. National crises were, unfortunately, paired with heaps of paperwork, and all of them wanted to get it out of the way as soon as possible.

Harry, however, found it difficult to concentrate on anything. He knew he should be doing some work, but staring at Ruth while reminiscing about the day before was just too tempting. He was jolted out of his pleasant daydream when his computer bleeped, announcing the arrival of a new email.

**Internal Service Mail**

**From: Ruth Evershed**

**To: Harry Pearce**

**Message:**

_Stop staring at me. Neither of us are getting any work done, and sooner or later people will start to notice. _

_Love you_

_R x_

Harry smiled. He hadn't even noticed that she knew he had been watching her, but he wasn't surprised. Ruth noticed pretty much anything.

**Internal Service Mail**

**From: Harry Pearce**

**To: Ruth Evershed**

**Message:**

_I can't help it. You're too beautiful and it's distracting me._

_Love you too_

_H x_

He noticed her smile almost immediately after he pressed send. This was certainly a lot more fun than paperwork.

**Internal Service Mail**

**From: Ruth Evershed**

**To: Harry Pearce**

**Message:**

_You old flatterer. Now I'm blushing and paperwork certainly isn't something that should make me blush!_

_Since we're both distracted anyway, I actually need to talk to you. Rooftop?_

_x  
_

**Internal Service Mail**

**From: Harry Pearce**

**To: Ruth Evershed**

**Message:**

_Less of the old, please. I'll be there in 5 minutes._

_x_

_

* * *

_

Ruth was already waiting for him when Harry came up on the rooftop. She was leaning against the balustrade, gazing out over the London skyline. She turned around as she noticed Harry walking towards her and smiled, though he noticed that the smile did not quite reach her eyes.

He stood close to her and kissed her briefly, but lovingly. "I've been wanting to do that all morning," he murmured.

She slipped one arm around him, pulling him closer. He mirrored her action, and together they stood like that for a while.

Eventually it was Harry who broke the silence. "You er, said you wanted to talk to me?" he asked.

Ruth nodded and took a step back so she could look him in the eye properly. "Yes I did. I er, I made a doctor's appointment for next week. Friday morning at 11. I was hoping you'd have time to come with me then."

Harry smiled. "Of course I'll come with you. And even if I didn't have time, I'd make time. I wouldn't want to miss it for the world."

"Good, that's good," Ruth said, half-smiling but avoiding his eyes. One of the buttons on Harry's coat had suddenly become subjected to Ruth's intense stare.

Harry sensed something wasn't quite right. "That's not all you wanted to talk to me about, is it?"

"No. Yes! I mean…" she hesitated for a moment. "It's just that I'm really afraid."

"Afraid of what?" he asked.

"I'm afraid that something might be wrong," she said softly.

"Every expectant parent feels that way Ruth. I'm sure everything will be just fine." He said, trying to pull her closer again by means of comfort.

Ruth, however, pulled back. "No, you don't understand. I seriously think something could be wrong, and these aren't irrational thoughts. Something dawned on me late last night. When Lucas kidnapped me, it was only days after conception. But that stuff he injected me with, that…that poison, what if it harmed the baby?"

For a moment Harry didn't know what to say. What she had said made sense, and he felt incredibly stupid for not thinking of this himself.

He noticed that Ruth was about to cry so he pulled her close, and this time she didn't resist.

"Everything will be ok, you'll see. I'm sure our baby is made of stronger stuff," he said, kissing the top of her head as she quietly sobbed into his chest.

After a couple of minutes she started to pull herself together again. "We should go back to the Grid, or else people will start to wonder where we've run off to." She said.

"Then they should just mind their own business," he said, brushing a few stray tears off her cheeks.

"And they'll immediately notice that I've been crying," she continued. "I probably look terrible."

Harry shook his head. "You look beautiful. And I doubt anyone will notice," he added. "They'll probably all have died of sheer boredom by now."

His comment made Ruth chuckle. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it slightly, and together they exited the rooftop and returned to the Grid.

* * *

Later that day Ruth popped her head around the door to Harry's office, just before he was about to leave for a meeting with the HS.

"Are you ok?" He asked her, still a little worried after her little breakdown earlier that day.

She nodded and smiled. "Yeah I'll be fine, don't worry. I just wanted to let you know that I'll be going home with Beth later. I'm going to tell her I'm moving out and then pack some of my things."

"Ok," he answered. "How do you think she'll react?"

"Well, she'll probably have an inkling already, considering I haven't been home in over a week. And besides, this flat sharing thing was only meant to be a temporary solution anyway, so I think she'll be fine."

"Good. I've got to go now and I probably won't make it back before you leave, so I'll just come by the flat to pick you up after I've finished here, is that ok?" He asked.

"That's fine," she replied.

"I'll see you tonight then," he said, kissing her quickly, not caring if anyone saw them, and rushed off for his meeting.

* * *

The last couple of hours at work passed quickly and were relatively uneventful, which meant that for once in their lives, the team got to go home at a decent hour. Ruth and Beth got on the bus, and had made it back to the flat by 6.30.

Beth headed straight for the kitchen the moment they walked in. "What a tedious, boring day that was," she exclaimed. "I think a large glass of wine's in order."

"Not for me, thanks" Ruth said as she followed her into the kitchen.

Beth looked surprised. "Why not?" she asked.

Ruth shrugged her shoulders. "I just don't fancy it."

"In that case I'll have an extra glass to compensate your sobriety," she joked, taking the bottle and a glass with her into the sitting room and flopping down onto the sofa.

Ruth sat down next to her. "I need to tell you something," she started.

"You're moving out," Beth stated, taking a large gulp of her wine.

"How did you know?" Ruth asked, slightly taken aback.

"Well," Beth started, "this is the first time in over a week you've actually set foot in the house, and I know you've been seeing someone lately. It all adds up really. That and the fact that I would be a terrible spook if I hadn't noticed."

Ruth failed to suppress a grin. "Fair enough," she said. "I suppose it has been quite obvious."

"So things are going well between you and Harry then?" Beth asked.

"Yes everything's…wait, how do you know that?" Ruth was shocked. Clearly they hadn't been able to fool everyone.

Beth laughed. "Well I am a spy after all Ruth."

"So you've been spying on me then?" Ruth said, a little hurt by the fact that her friend had done so.

"Not spied as such," Beth said. "But I might have taken a peek through the curtains one time when your date came to the flat to pick you up."

"I'm sorry, but curiosity got the better of me," she continued when she noticed that Ruth didn't look any happier.

Ruth sighed. "Forget it, it's fine. I'm just very grateful that you didn't tell anyone."

"You didn't, did you?" She asked, just to be sure.

Beth shook her head. "No I didn't. I would never gossip about friends or colleagues."

"Thanks," Ruth said, "that really means a lot to me."

"Sooo, how long have you and Harry been an item then?" Beth asked, curiously. "Come on, spill it. There's no need for secrecy now."

Ruth laughed. "You just said you didn't gossip."

"No I don't, but I'll make an exception just this once." She stuck out her tongue at Ruth. "Now tell me!"

Ruth told her the full story, leaving out a few details here and there which she thought were too personal to share.

"Wow," Beth said when the story was finally over. "That's really quite something."

"It surely is," Ruth agreed.

"But officially you've only been together a few months?" Beth asked.

"We have, but it feels much longer," Ruth answered.

"Is that why you're moving in together already?" she asked. "Because you don't want to waste any more time?"

Ruth nodded. "Well, that's part of the reason anyway. There are some other reasons which have sped up the process a bit as well."

"Such as?" Beth asked.

Ruth hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should tell Beth or not. It was still early days, something could easily go wrong. But then again, after her openheartedness tonight she might as well tell her the full story, she figured.

"I'm pregnant," she said.

Beth's eyes lit up. "That's wonderful news!" she exclaimed, and she hugged her friend tightly.

"Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Ruth said, smiling broadly now. "It's early days though, and I haven't told anyone else yet."

"My lips are sealed," Beth assured her. "This is so exciting though."

Ruth couldn't stop smiling. "It really is."

Beth wanted to ask more questions, but was interrupted by the doorbell.

"That's probably Harry," Ruth said. "He's come to pick me up and collect some of my things as well."

Beth smiled as she watched her get up and walk into the hallway to let Harry in. She would miss Ruth as a flatmate, but she was very happy to see her friend's life taking a turn for the better.

_If anyone deserves some happiness it's those two_, she thought.

* * *

**Thanks again for reading. Please review! xx**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks again for all the lovely reviews for chapter 9. And I'm so sorry if I have worried or upset everyone, it wasn't intentional! This chapter was never-ending, so I decided to cut it off halfway. I hope this one will put your minds at ease just a bit though!**

* * *

The next week passed slowly and was a nerve wracking and testing time for both. By the time Friday morning came around Ruth had got herself into a right state, and Harry wasn't doing much better. Both had woken up ridiculously early, even though they had taken the morning off, and when they sat down at the kitchen table they found neither of them were in the mood for breakfast.

Harry watched Ruth trying to bring her teacup to her lips without spilling any, which proved to be very difficult because of her trembling hands.

He reached out and put a hand on her arm. "Ruth, it'll be alright."

She shook her head and put her cup back down. "You don't know that."

"No, I don't," he confessed. "But we have to think positively. I hate seeing you so upset like this."

Ruth sighed. "I just can't bear the thought of anything being wrong. I have this unnerving feeling, and I've had it for a while. It's been with me constantly and I can't seem to shake it off."

Harry moved closer to Ruth, pulled her to him and hugged her tightly. "It'll be alright," he repeated. "Just focus on the positive aspects."

Ruth allowed herself to relax slightly in his loving embrace. "Believe me, I've tried. But it's hard."

"I know it is," he murmured, gently caressing her back with one hand. "Just try not to over-analyse the situation before we even know anything. Let's worry when we've actually got something to worry about, ok?"

Ruth nodded in agreement. "Ok, I'll try not to. But I can't make any promises."

"It's a start," Harry smiled. "Now, you should really have some breakfast."

She shook her head. "I don't want anything, I'm not hungry."

Harry looked worried. "You will have to eat something Ruth."

"I can't. I'm too nervous, and I'm feeling a little nauseous as well," she said. "And besides, you're not exactly eating any breakfast yourself are you?"

"That's true," he admitted. "But then again, I'm not the one who's supposed to be eating for two."

Ruth rolled her eyes at the cliché remark but chose not comment on it.

"Look, why don't I make us _both_ some toast then?" Harry finally suggested. "It's not much of a breakfast, but it's better than nothing."

"Alright then, I suppose some toast wouldn't be too bad," Ruth said. She knew he wouldn't take no for an answer, so it was wisest to just give in.

"Toast it is then, coming right up," Harry said, a bit too chipper to Ruth's liking.

* * *

The rest of the morning seemed to pass unbelievably slowly, much to Ruth's frustration, but now they were finally sitting in the hospital waiting room, waiting to be called in by the doctor.

Ruth was fidgeting nervously with one of her rings, and Harry just felt generally awkward. He wasn't sure whether to leave Ruth be for a while, or to offer her comfort. He so desperately wanted to hold her hand, but he feared she might shy away from him, and considering the state she was in he didn't want to risk anything.

After waiting for what felt like ages, but was in fact probably just 15 minutes, Ruth's name was finally called out. Harry immediately rose from the uncomfortable plastic chair, but Ruth didn't move.

"Ruth?" he said gently. "It's our turn."

She shook her head. "I can't."

"Yes you can Ruth," he tried to encourage her.

"No I don't think I can get up," she said. "I'm afraid my legs will give way."

"I won't let that happen," he reassured her. "I promise."

"Come one, I'll be right there with you." He outstretched his hand and she took it.

That's when he noticed just how badly she was shaking. He wrapped an arm around her waist for support and together they walked off in the direction of the doctor's office.

* * *

"No briefing this morning?" Dimitri asked as he came hurling in through the pods, late as usual.

Beth shook her head. "No, Harry's in a meeting with the HS, which he said would probably extend to after lunch."

He sighed in relief. "Well at least I wasn't late for anything important then."

"I wish Harry were here," she said. "He would give you a right bollocking and maybe, just maybe you would manage to be on time for once then," she half-teased him.

"Oh shut up Bailey, it's not as if you've never been late either," he said.

Beth ignored his remark and continued to stare at her computer screen, pretending to be working on something important.

"Speaking of people being absent or late, where's Ruth?"

"She's uh, she's over at Vauxhall for a couple of hours, helping out Six with some intel. Not sure when she'll be back." Beth answered.

Dimitri shrugged his shoulders. "Oh alright," he said, as he switched on his computer and started doing some work.

Beth breathed a sigh of relief. She had only come up with an elaborate excuse for Harry's absence, so she was glad Dimitri bought into the story she had spun about Ruth. Which reminded her, she did need to inform Ruth about this before she arrived on the Grid, just to avoid any kind of confusion or awkward situations.

Beth looked around at the almost empty, and most of all silent Grid, and took a moment to enjoy the exceptional quiet and peaceful moment. She then grabbed another file off her desk and continued her work.

* * *

The doctor introduced herself as Dr. Jameson, and both shook her hand as they entered her office. Ruth quickly moved to one of the chairs and sat down. Harry noticed she was looking very pale, almost translucent, and he squeezed her hand briefly by means of comfort as he sat himself down next to her.

By the time the doctor started asking some general questions about how she was feeling, Ruth had more or less composed herself, and the only sign of distress she showed was the occasional slight tremor in her voice, which probably only Harry noticed.

"So," she continued, "do you have an inkling about how far along you are?"

"Seven weeks and five days," Ruth answered almost immediately, "roughly," and smiled.

Her quick response made the doctor chuckle. "I see," she said. "We'll do a quick scan in a moment and then we'll soon enough see if you're right."

"Oh I know I'm right," Ruth said resolutely, but she was still smiling.

"Shall we get straight down to it then?" she asked. "Unless of course you've any additional questions."

Ruth hesitated for a moment and looked to Harry. "Well there is something, but I'm not sure if I can tell you."

"I have signed the Official Secrets Act, in case you were wondering" the doctor said.

Ruth turned to Harry again, who didn't say a thing but just smiled knowingly. She could have known he'd do something like this.

"Oh, that's good," Ruth said, looking relieved. "Well it's just that I er..well let's just say I was kidnapped. This was nearly seven weeks ago so just…just after you know, conception. And I was," she paused, taking a moment to recompose herself, "I was injected with something that was meant to kill me. Luckily I was found in time and I soon fully recovered. I was checked over at the hospital, but of course it was far too early to detect pregnancy at that point, so I'm afraid that it might have harmed the baby."

She took a deep breath and sought out Harry's hand, who immediately responded and took her hand in his, rubbing the back of her hand gently with his thumb.

Dr. Jameson opened Ruth's file and studied it closely for a moment. "Ah yes, it's all in here," she said after a while. "Well you're still pregnant after all you went through, which is of course a good sign."

Both Ruth and Harry nodded in agreement.

"But?" Ruth finally said.

"But I do feel it's better to do some tests," the doctor continued. "I was going to suggest this anyway because of your age. We strongly suggest further testing to all women over the age of 35. Of course we can't force anyone, but in your case I strongly recommend it."

"Of course, whatever you think is necessary," Ruth said. "What kind of test would that be?"

"It's called CVS, which stand for chorionic villus sampling, and we usually do it starting in the 10th week of pregnancy. We take some placental tissue, either in a transcervical or transabdominal manner, and we test it. This can determine any chromosomal or genetic disorders in the fetus."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Harry asked.

"There is a small risk of miscarriage," the doctor admitted. "But it's only between 0.5 and 4.6 %."

Harry turned to Ruth. "Do you want to have that test."

Ruth hesitated for a moment, but then she nodded her agreement. "I do," she said resolutely.

"Good, I think that's a very wise thing to do," the doctor said. "You can schedule an appointment for two weeks from now. You can do this at the front desk after we're done here. But now on to more pleasant things. Shall we do a scan?"

* * *

Ruth was lying down with Harry sitting beside her, whilst the doctor prepared her equipment.

"Now, this may be a little cold," the doctor warned, before applying some of the gel to her belly.

Harry felt Ruth grab hold of his hand a little tighter as the doctor started moving the transducer along her lower abdomen.

"Ah, found it, " the doctor said after what seemed like ages.

She pointed to something small and blurry on the screen, and both had to squint their eyes to make out some kind of form or shape. "That's your baby," the doctor said.

Harry smiled, Ruth just stared in disbelief. It wasn't much, in fact it was just a tiny blob, but it was _their_ baby.

Dr. Jameson pointed out where the head was, but nothing really registered with either of them. All they could do was stare, marvel at what they were seeing.

Suddenly a clear, rhythmic sound filled the air. "A good, strong heartbeat," the doctor said. "That's a very good sign."

Both let out a sigh of relief. A good sign, that was just what they needed to hear.

* * *

Not long afterwards they were both in Harry's car on their way back to Thames House. Harry was concentrating on navigating his car through the ever so crowded London roads, but couldn't help glancing in Ruth's direction occasionally.

Something was different about her, as though a weight was lifted off her shoulders. Of course they still had to do the CVS test, so they weren't in the clear yet, but at least the burden had been eased just a bit.

She was still looking at the scan picture, which she had been holding on to very tightly since they had left the doctor's office.

"Pretty amazing isn't it?" Harry asked.

Ruth nodded. "It is. And it would be even better if I could actually make out our baby on this thing, but it's just one grey blur."

For a moment he was worried to hear some kind of disappointment in her voice, but when he looked up he noticed she was laughing, and he laughed with her, both relieved that the first hurdle had been taken successfully.

* * *

**TBC. Please leave a review! :) xx**


	11. Chapter 11

**Ok this'll be the last of the angst for now. I promise that the next chapter will be a lot fluffier!**

* * *

The CVS test had gone well, without any complications. It had been a very painful procedure for Ruth, and even though both she and the doctors had assured him that everything was going to be ok, Harry continued to keep a close eye on her. He had told her to take a week off, but naturally Ruth had protested, arguing she was fine and at least fit enough to sit behind a desk.

The thought to threaten her with decommissioning if she didn't stay at home had crossed his mind for a fleeting second, but he figured that it wouldn't be a very wise idea. The resulting stress from the argument which would inevitably follow his threat wouldn't be good for Ruth or the baby, nor did he fancy sleeping in the spare room for the next couple of months.

So a day after the test Ruth was back at work, looking a bit paler than usual, but other than that she appeared to be just fine. Only Harry knew that she wasn't. They had been told it could take up to two weeks before they got their test results, and they would probably be the longest two weeks of both their lives.

The rest of the team could feel that there was something going on, but they couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. The tension between Ruth and Harry was palpable, but nobody dared to say anything about it. Instead they chose to keep their heads down and continue with their work as usual.

* * *

It was getting late and everyone, bar Harry and Ruth, had gone home for the night. Harry was trying to finish reading some reports, but he couldn't concentrate. He looked up and was immediately distracted at the sight of the only person still left on the Grid. Ruth was engrossed in something on her computer screen, her desk lamp casting an orange glow over her face, casting an ethereal glow over her features. He thought she had never looked more beautiful.

Since he wasn't getting any work done he got up, grabbed his coat and gloves, and left his office. As he approached her desk he noticed how pale she was and just how tired she looked.

Harry moved to stand behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm taking you home."

"Ok just a couple more minutes, I need to finish this report." She answered without looking up.

"The report can wait," he said.

There was something in his voice, like a kind of mixture of worry and determination, which made Ruth decide not to object. And, to be honest, she was really quite tired.

She switched off her computer and got up. "Alright then, let's go."

They exited through the pods, and soon they were outside, both bundled up in their coats, scarves and gloves to shield them from the cold November weather.

"Are you hungry?" Harry asked.

Ruth shook her head. "Not really. I could murder a cup of tea though."

"Hmm, I know the perfect place for that," he said, as he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

Although the walk to The George only took a couple of minutes, both were glad to be back inside in the warmth. It was only early November, but it seemed that winter had come early this year. Already the weather was very chilly and it wouldn't be long before the first snow would arrive.

Ruth sat herself down in a corner of the pub while Harry got the drinks, arriving a couple of minutes later with two steaming cups of tea and a menu. Ruth gratefully wrapped her hands around her cup, and soon felt the tingling warmth spread from her fingertips to the rest of her body.

Harry sat down next to her and studied the menu.

"What are you having?" he asked her. "Same as usual?"

Ruth shook her head. "I told you I'm not hungry."

Harry looked at her sternly. "Ruth, you have to eat. You've been at work all day and you need to keep up your strength."

"I'm sorry," she said. "I don't think I can."

Harry sighed. "It's the test isn't it? That's why you're so on edge. In fact, I think we both are."

Ruth stared at her teacup. "I can't help it. It's constantly playing through my mind and I can't concentrate on anything. It's frustrating and it annoys me, but at the same time I'm absolutely terrified."

Harry moved closer to her, worry etched on his face as he took her in his arms. "Everything's going to be ok," he sussed.

"I want to believe you," said Ruth, "but I don't know if I can. I'm such a mess, and it's not even been two days. How on earth am I going to get through the next two weeks without completely losing my sanity?"

"We'll keep each other sane," he reassured her. "And if you find, at any moment, that you can't cope, you just take time off."

"No, that's even worse," she said. "If I'm forced to sit at home with nothing else to occupy my mind I'll have gone out of my mind by the time those two weeks are over."

"Well you always were a bit bonkers," he joked, trying to lighten the mood. "That's what I love about you."

Ruth looked up at him and managed a small smile. "Impossible man," she muttered.

He smiled. "And you love me for it," he replied as he moved forward to kiss her.

"Now, let's order some food because I'm starving."

* * *

**3 days later**

Ruth rushed into Harry's office, without knocking of course, just as Harry was putting the phone down. Judging by the exasperated look on his face he had just been speaking to either the HS or the DG. When he saw her his features instantly softened.

"You know, I wasn't kidding about that cowbell," he teased.

"We need to go right now," she said, ignoring his remark.

Harry immediately looked alarmed. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just got a call from the hospital that the results are in, " she said, gesturing at the phone which she was still clutching in her left hand. "I told them we'd be there as soon as possible."

He quickly rose from his chair. "Let's go then."

* * *

Harry had called his driver as he didn't feel capable of driving himself, he was far too nervous. Ruth, he noticed, was shaking like a leaf.

Luckily the traffic wasn't too busy and they arrived back at the hospital fairly quickly. Soon they were back in the now all too familiar waiting room. Harry's heart was beating so fast it felt as though it would thump out of his chest. He looked over at Ruth, who was fidgeting nervously, twisting her ring around her finger, and she looked as if she was about to cry.

Their names were called out, and again, mirroring their previous two visits, they nervously entered the doctor's office.

"Right, I won't make you wait any longer than is strictly necessary," the doctor said as soon as Harry and Ruth had sat down. "Let's see the results, shall we?"

Ruth held her breath as the doctor opened the envelope which contained the test results.

She took out the papers and scanned them quickly. It only took a couple of seconds, but to Ruth it felt like hours.

"Everything came back negative," the doctor eventually said. "The baby's perfectly healthy."

Harry let out a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. _The baby's healthy_, he thought to himself. _Everything's going to be just fine._

He looked over to Ruth who, he noticed, was crying.

He hugged her tightly to him and kissed her forehead. "Hey, you heard what the doctor said. Everything's fine."

"I know," Ruth sniffed. "I'm so sorry about this. But they're happy tears."

"It's quite understandable," Dr. Jameson said. "You come in here fearing the worst, so when you get some good news it actually comes as quite a shock."

"Shock doesn't even begin to cover it," Ruth said, now smiling through her tears.

"Oh, there is one more thing," the doctor continued.

"Which is?" Harry asked.

"This test can also determine the baby's gender at an early stage, much earlier than we can do with an ordinary scan."

Ruth's eyes widened. "You mean you've got it right there, the baby's gender I mean?" She asked.

The doctor nodded. "I could tell you right now if you want to know."

Ruth looked at Harry. "Do we want to know?"

"It's up to you Ruth," was all he said.

She shook her head. "No, it's not up to me. This is _our_ baby, which means that we make these decisions together."

He gave her an encouraging smile. "Ruth, if I'm honest with you I don't really care whether it's a boy or a girl, either way is fine by me. All I want is for it to be healthy. But if you want to find out the sex then I'm fine with that. It's your call."

Ruth sighed. "Alright then. I don't think I want to know."

Harry hadn't expected her to say that. "Are you sure?"

Ruth smiled and nodded. "Yes I'm sure. I quite like the idea of not finding out until the birth. I know it's a bit old-fashioned nowadays, but I like it. It keeps life interesting."

"Well should you change your mind you can always ask," the doctor said.

"Thanks, I'll bear that in mind," Ruth answered.

* * *

"Are you happy?" Harry asked as they walked back to the car.

"Very happy," Ruth beamed. "And most of all relieved."

"I told you everything would be fine," he said.

"Yes but did you really believe that, or did you say it just to comfort me?"

Harry stopped and looked at her in all earnest. "I wanted to believe it, I just had to believe it. I couldn't get my head around the idea that there was a possibility of anything being wrong."

Ruth thought she could see tears spring to his eyes, but she couldn't be sure. She stood on tiptoes and kissed him lovingly.

"You were right in believing it," she said. "I should've been more optimistic."

She continued. "Though I still wonder how they got the test results in so quickly. It only took them four days and they said it could take up to two weeks."

Harry stared as his shoes.

"Did you have anything to do with this?" Ruth asked sternly.

"I might have made a few phone calls here and there," he reluctantly admitted.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because you were a nervous wreck and I wasn't doing much better. You're our best analyst and your work was suffering. So I might have made some comments about how the security of the country would benefit if the test results came back earlier."

Ruth shook her head, but Harry knew she was smiling.

"Impossible man?" he asked

She nodded. "But I love you for it," she said as she kissed him again.

* * *

**Not too sure about this chapter, please review! xx**


	12. Chapter 12

**I can't believe I've passed the 100 reviews mark. Thanks so much to all my loyal reviewers, you really are the best! And as a reward, here's a fluffy chapter!**

* * *

The next few weeks were relatively calm. There were no major incidents and work was normal, almost boring even. And these moments of tranquillity seemed to come exactly at the right time. Ruth, though a lot more at ease since the test results came back, still suffered from terrible morning sickness from time to time, which severely disrupted her work. Both Harry and Beth tried to help out by starting briefings a bit later than usual, or cutting them short when either of them noticed that Ruth wasn't feeling well. So far it had worked, and nobody seemed to have noticed anything.

It also allowed them to help their latest addition to the team to settle in properly. Their latest recruit was called Athena Lewis. Greek mother, English father, only 25 but already held MAs in both Ancient Greek and Computer Science, both from Oxford. On top of that she had headed her athletics team at university, and had passed all the physical training with flying colours. If superwoman existed, it could very well have been her. And to make matters worse she was good looking as well, which meant she'd had Dimitri and Tariq practically drooling over her from day one. Beth didn't like Athena, which had probably more to do with Dimitri's behaviour towards her than the actual girl herself. Section D had been horribly short staffed for a while, so to have a new colleague who could serve both as a field agent and an analyst was a welcome addition to the team.

Beth was very pleased that Harry had employed a new junior officer, which meant that she had now officially been promoted to Section Chief.

* * *

It was early December and over the weekend the first snow had fallen, giving London a truly magical appearance. Unfortunately the snowfall, besides being pretty to look at, caused a lot of mayhem during the morning traffic, especially in a busy city. Harry was pacing the hallway nervously. They were late for work already, and because of the snow he'd have to drive slower and more careful, which meant they would never make it in on time. If only Ruth would hurry up.

"Ruth?" he called up the stairs. "Are you ready? We really need to go."

When he didn't get a reply he hurried up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. He opened the bedroom door and entered quickly.

"We're late for work darling, we really need to.." he started his sentence, but didn't finish.

Ruth was standing in front of the mirror, trying with all her might to zip up her skirt, but failing miserably.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

She sighed, exasperated. "No I'm bloody well not ok. My skirt doesn't fit."

Harry chuckled as he moved to stand behind her. "You're pregnant, that's what happens," he said as he kissed her cheek.

"But last week it still fitted. I can't have put on that much weight in just one weekend!" Ruth protested. "I'm not even showing yet."

"You know what the pregnancy books says. Every woman is different. Some start showing at 6 weeks, others at 16. But that doesn't mean you won't put on any weight, even if you're not showing yet" he said. "Besides, it's a good sign. It shows that everything is as it should be."

Ruth sighed. "You're right, of course you're right. But it's so much to take in all at once."

"It's perfectly understandable," Harry said as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

She leant back against him, relaxing in his embrace.

Both wished they could stay like this for the rest of the day, just enjoying each other's company like they had done the whole weekend. But sadly there was work to be done.

Harry finally brought an end to their little moment. "We really need to get going now," he murmured into her ear.

"I still haven't finished getting dressed," she said.

"Then find something else to wear. Surely you haven't grown out of all your clothes in just one weekend," he teased her, which earned him a well deserved, but playful, slap.

* * *

When they were finally in the car and en route to Thames House, Harry had received a call from the Home Secretary, summoning him over for a meeting. This meant changing most of his morning plans, so he quickly dropped of Ruth and headed for Whitehall.

By the time he returned it had gone eleven, and he called everyone into the meeting room for a briefing. When they were all sitting down, Ruth of course next to him, Harry started speaking.

"As you all hopefully know a conference for all the European Security Services is being held in Paris later this week. Every country is sending a delegation to represent their Security Services at that conference. Now the Head and Chief of Section C had been selected to represent MI5, but due to operational reasons they've had to drop out. Therefore the Home Secretary has ordered members of Section D to go instead."

"When will you be going?" Dimitri asked.

"Beth and I will be leaving tonight," Harry answered. "Ruth will be in charge in my absence, as she is the most senior member who's staying behind. Anything that isn't urgent can wait until we've returned. If there's an emergency just red flash us and we'll come back as soon as possible."

"It's all pretty straightforward. Any questions?"

The team all shook their heads.

"Good, back to work it is then." Harry said.

* * *

Later that afternoon Ruth walked into his office. "I've got those files you asked for," she said as she positioned them on a corner of his desk.

He looked up and smiled. "Thank you."

She turned to walk away, then seemingly changed her mind and turned around again.

"Is everything alright?" Harry asked.

Ruth stared at her shoes. "I'm not sure. How long will you be gone for?"

"A week at the most," he sighed. "But hopefully no more than a few of days."

"Ok good. Well I..I'll best get back to work." She said.

As she turned around Harry had moved to her side and grabbed her hand.

"What's wrong?" he asked, and as she turned towards him she could see the genuine look of concern in his eyes.

"Nothing," she said. "I'm just going to miss you, that's all."

Harry leant in and kissed her briefly, not caring if anyone could see them. They hadn't publicly announced their relationship to the team, but they hadn't been trying to hide it either. They figured that their personal life was their business and no one else's, and they didn't need to justify themselves to their colleagues.

"I'm going to miss you too," he said. "Both of you actually."

"And are you going to hate the fact that you're going to Paris without me?" she asked, teasingly.

"I'm going to loathe every minute of it," he replied, smirking slightly.

She smiled, his answer had obviously put her mind at ease. "That's uh..that's good."

She stood on tiptoes and kissed him back. "I'm glad we've established that. Now I should really get some work done."

She turned around and headed for the main part of the Grid, leaving a broadly grinning Harry behind.

* * *

Ruth awoke as she heard her phone vibrate on the nightstand. Harry and Beth had left for Paris earlier that evening and she had planned on staying awake until she knew that they'd arrived safely. But fatigue had got the better of her and in the end she had fallen asleep with the cats curled up by her feet.

She grabbed her phone and read the text.

_Arrived safely. Missing you already._

_Sweet dreams. H xx_

She smiled and typed a quick reply.

_We miss you too. Cats have moved into your side of the bed._

_Love you. R xx_

_

* * *

_

In the end it took six days before Beth and Harry could come back. The conference had gone on for longer than either of them had expected, which nobody was pleased about, least of all Ruth and Dimitri. Luckily there hadn't been any major threats, though at one point Dimitri had seriously considered to make one up, just to get Beth home a few days early. He missed her, though he would never admit it to anyone, and he had realised that flirting with Athena wasn't as much fun when Beth wasn't around.

Ruth wasn't doing much better. Though the team didn't actually know where she and Harry stood relationship-wise, they all noticed how Harry's absence hadn't exactly improved her mood.

On the evening of the sixth day she got a text from Harry while still at work.

_Will be back later tonight. Don't wait up._

_H xx_

Contrary to what Harry had said, Ruth had decided to wait up for him. She was dozing slightly on the sofa when she heard the front door being unlocked. She remained on the sofa, Fidget curled up in her lap, knowing that Scarlet would scurry off to greet her master very enthusiastically first.

And she was right. Soon afterwards Harry walked into the living room, smiling, with an elated Scarlet bouncing around him, wagging her little tail excitedly.

"Yes you're a good girl," he cooed as he kneeled down and scratched the little Jack Russell behind her ears.

When he stood up again Ruth had walked over to him.

"Hi," she said softly.

"I've missed you," he said as he drew her in for a kiss.

"I've missed you too," she said when they finally broke apart.

They moved over and sat down on the sofa together. "I've a surprise for you," Ruth said.

"Hmm I like surprises," Harry murmured seductively. "What is it?"

Ruth started blushing feverishly. She took hold of his hand and slowly guided it to rest on her stomach, her eyes never leaving his, waiting for a reaction.

His eyes widened when his hand came into contact with her belly and he felt the small bump that had formed there.

He didn't know quite what to say. "Ruth you're.." he started.

She nodded enthusiastically and he leant in to kiss her again.

"I love you," he whispered, gazing at her intently, his eyes brimming with love and adoration.

Slowly he undid a few buttons on her blouse and he slipped his hand inside, resting it on her bump, wanting to really feel it for himself without having any fabric serve as a barrier.

His hand stroked the taut skin, his eyes full of admiration at the realisation that their child was growing within. Of course seeing the scan and hearing the heartbeat had been enough proof that this was actually happening, that they were having a baby. But to see the physical proof, for some reason, had made it all the more real.

He felt her hand join his and he wove his fingers through hers. They let their entwined hands rest on her belly. Neither of them said a word, they didn't need to. The look of contentment on both their faces was enough.

* * *

**Thanks again for reading! If you liked the fluff, please leave a review! xx**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank you all once again for the lovely and encouraging reviews, they mean so much to me! Here's another fluffy chapter for you all. Hope you like it!**

* * *

Ruth was admiring herself in the full length mirror in the bedroom as she tried out some of the new clothes she had bought the day before. Deciding that she could no longer get away with wearing the more loose fitted clothes in her wardrobe over and over again, she had dragged Beth along on a shopping spree to get herself some proper maternity clothes. She had been quite hesitant at first, not at all sure what to buy. She had tried on loads of different outfits and, when she had actually decided to just get the bare necessities, Beth had convinced her to take the lot, so in the end she had returned home with two large bags laden with clothes.

She turned sideways and smoothed the brown top she was wearing, made of stretchy material to accommodate her growing bump. She stroked it briefly, amazed at how much her body had changed in such a short time span. It wasn't until she looked up that she noticed Harry watching her from the doorway. She didn't turn round but instead made eye contact through his reflexion in the mirror and smiled. He smiled back and moved to stand behind her, lovingly placing one hand on her belly.

"You're really starting to show now," he said, his breath tickling her ear.

She sighed, contentedly. "I know. I don't think I'll be able to hide it any longer, nor do I want to."

He pulled her closer to him, wrapping both arms around her from behind, never breaking their eye contact through the mirror. "You look beautiful," he said. "Are these clothes new?"

She nodded. "They are. I really wasn't sure what to buy at first, so I'm really glad Beth was there for a second opinion. This outfit was her suggestion actually."

"In that case she made a very good suggestion," Harry said.

He remained standing behind her, eyeing her up and down, drinking her in. She was wearing jeans, an item of clothing she didn't wear very often, much to Harry's disappointment. Not that he didn't love the way she looked in her long, flowing skirts, because he did. They were quirky, eccentric, and so very Ruth. But now that he saw her wearing jeans, clinging to her every curve, showing off her shapely legs at their most advantageous, he silently hoped that they'd become a more regular feature of her wardrobe. The jeans, combined with her brown top, and dark brown knitted cardigan, gave her a casual appearance, but still appropriately dressed for work.

"Ready to go?" he asked, as he reluctantly pulled away from her.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she answered, still smiling.

* * *

"Should we uh..say something to the team?" Harry asked a while later as they were in the car on their way to Thames House.

"About what?" Ruth asked, though she knew what he was referring to.

"About us, the pregnancy, the baby, something. I don't really know what you're supposed to do under these circumstances." He said.

Ruth shrugged her shoulders. "Neither do I. Though I don't feel like making such a big fuss of it, you know, making a big announcement or anything like that."

Harry nodded his agreement. He knew Ruth didn't like to be the centre of attention. "Did you have a particular tactic in mind?"

"I'd rather go for the 'don't tell, but show' approach," she said. "We've never made any public statements about our relationship either, so why should we need to do so now? And if they hadn't yet noticed I'm pregnant, then they definitely will today."

"The men will probably have a fit when they notice," Harry chuckled.

Ruth grinned. "I wouldn't be surprised if nobody noticed anything to be honest. I know they call themselves spooks, but they're lousy at noticing things when it comes to colleagues. I can't believe I'm still the only one who knows about Mark and Susan in Section F."

"What about them?" Harry asked.

Ruth rolled her eyes in mock-annoyance. "I rest my case."

* * *

They were the first to arrive on the Grid, as usual, and by the time the others came in Ruth was already hard at work, her bump obscured from view by her desk. And when Harry called them all into the meeting room for their morning briefing she was clutching a stack of files, so again nobody noticed.

It wasn't until halfway through the briefing that something changed. Ruth was asked to brief the team on the latest intel regarding the situation in Libya, and the possibility of an attack on the Libyan embassy in London. When she got up to point out a couple of items on the monitor, a few audible gasps could be heard from around the room.

"Anything the matter?" she asked.

The team members, excluding Beth, were staring at her in disbelief.

Dimitri made a few attempts to say something, opening his mouth, then closing it again, doing a remarkably good impression of a goldfish. Eventually he managed to find his voice again. "Ruth you're…uh," he started.

"Yes she is," Harry interrupted. "Now can we please focus on the terrorist threat?" His attempt at sounding bossy failed because he couldn't manage to stop a smile from passing over his features.

The rest of the briefing passed quickly, albeit a bit messy and unorganised. Dimitri, Tariq, and Athena found it hard to concentrate on anything after Ruth and Harry's big revelation. They had suspected that something was going on for quite a while now. Even Athena, who had only joined the team a couple of weeks ago, could see that there was definitely something between Section Head and Intelligence Analyst. But to get, in not so many words, a confirmation on their relationship status _and _the news that they were expecting, was more than any of them had bargained for.

As the meeting drew to a close, everyone, especially Dimitri, scurried off back to the main part of the Grid, all feeling that the tension in the room was becoming a bit too much. Ruth, however, lagged behind.

"That went well," she grinned.

"Well at least now they know," Harry said, smiling. "It could have gone a lot worse."

"Poor Dimitri though," Ruth said. "He looked really embarrassed."

Harry grinned. "I know. I thought it was very amusing."

She stood on tiptoes to kiss him briefly, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like 'insufferable man'. "I should probably go and tell him that it's ok and that he has nothing to be embarrassed about," she said and she walked off, leaving a broadly smiling Harry behind.

Ruth was in the small kitchenette making herself a cup of tea when Dimitri approached her.

"Look, I'm sorry about what just happened," he said. "I shouldn't have put you on the spot like that, I don't know what came over me."

Ruth placed a reassuring hand on his arm. "It's alright, I'm not angry or upset or anything." she said. "Besides, you were all bound to find out sooner or later. I'm just surprised it took you all this long."

Dimitri breathed a sigh of relief that she wasn't angry with him. "Beth didn't seem at all surprised," he said.

Ruth shook her head. "She already knew."

"I should've guessed," he said. "She's good at keeping secrets when she wants to!"

"She certainly is," Ruth said, smiling at the knowledge that her friend had kept her promise.

The water had finished boiling, and Ruth poured some into a cup. "Do you want one as well?" she asked.

Dimitri shook his head. "No thanks, I should be off soon. Need to meet with an asset in about an hour."

As he turned to leave he bent down and kissed her softly on the cheeks. "Congratulations," he said and he walked off, leaving a very surprised Ruth behind, her tea temporarily forgotten about.

* * *

That evening Harry and Ruth were sitting at the kitchen table, devouring some well deserved Chinese food after their long and stressful day. In the end the threat to the Libyan embassy had proved to be much more serious than anyone initially expected, and the assassination of the Libyan consul had been narrowly avoided.

"Are you ok?" he asked, reaching out across the table so he could hold her hand.

She nodded as she swallowed the last of her food. "I'm fine, just tired that's all."

"It was quite a hellish day," he said. "Maybe you should take the morning off tomorrow, get a couple extra hours of sleep."

Ruth shook her head. "I've got far too much work to do. Besides, nobody else is taking the morning off so why should I? I don't want special treatment Harry."

For a moment Harry considered arguing with her about it, but he knew it would lead to nothing except the possibility of a row.

"Then at least let me run you a hot bath so you can relax and unwind," he said as they were clearing the plates away.

She smiled happily at him, glad that he'd decided not to start an argument about work. "I'd love that."

By the time she entered the bathroom the tub had been filled up completely with nice hot water and her favourite bubble bath, filling the room with the lovely scent of lavender. She quickly rid herself of her bathrobe and lowered herself into the water under Harry's watchful eye.

After a moment she looked up to find Harry still standing at the opposite end of the room. "Aren't you coming in?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Just have the bath to yourself and try to relax."

"I'm not the only one who's had a stressful day," she protested. "You need to relax and unwind just as much as I do. Besides, it would be a shame to waste all this water on just one person."

She stretched out one of her arms, motioning him to join her.

Harry soon gave in, admitting to himself that he actually wouldn't mind a nice, hot bath. He quickly rid himself of his clothes and stepped in behind Ruth, who immediately leant back against him, resting her head on his chest and sighing contentedly.

Both felt themselves relaxing instantly as the water washed away all the stress and the tension the day had brought them.

"Ruth?" Harry said softly after a while, trying to figure out whether she was asleep or not.

"Mmm.." was the response he got, indicating that she was very nearly asleep. "What is it?" she asked.

"Marry me?" he asked. It hadn't been his intention to ask her then, and he was mentally kicking himself, but once the thought had crossed his mind it had just slipped out. He braced himself for the worst.

He felt her body tense for a moment, but soon it relaxed again. "Why ask me now?" she said.

He had no idea how to answer this, no idea what kind of answer she was expecting of him. "It just felt right," he said, honestly.

"So you didn't ask me just because we're having a baby," she asked. Harry detected a hint of insecurity in her voice.

"It might be part of the reason," he answered truthfully, "but it's definitely not _the_ reason. Last time I asked you we weren't having a baby. And I know my timing was off, but my feelings for you haven't changed. If anything they've become stronger."

He took one of her hands in his and squeezed it slightly. "I love you, more than I could possibly put into words, and it's because of that love I feel that I want to marry you. I'm not asking out of a sense of duty. Contrary to popular belief I'm not _that _old-fashioned." He joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Ruth turned around the best she could within the confines of the bathtub, feeling the need to look Harry in the eye. "I love you too," she said, her eyes already filling with tears, threatening to spill over at any moment, "more than I ever thought possible. And," she paused, biting her bottom lip nervously, "I would love to marry you."

Harry's face transformed into a smile the moment the words passed her lips, and drew her closer to him, kissing her as if his life depended on it.

* * *

**Thanks again for reading. Please review if you liked the fluff! xx**


	14. Chapter 14

**I got an overwhelming amount of review for the previous chapter, thanks so much for that. It means so much to me!**

* * *

Christmas and New Year's came and went, and everything was relatively calm. For once there were no major crises, none had been at risk of losing their lives, and all had been able to celebrate the holidays in some form or shape. Ruth had finally had the chance to meet Harry's daughter Catherine who, though currently living in Egypt while she filmed another documentary, had come over to spend Christmas with her family. After the initial tension had subdued the two hit it off remarkably well. As it turned out they had quite a few shared interests, mainly about the Middle East, and soon they had been chatting away like old friends. Harry had observed it all from a distance, his heart overflowing with love and pride at the sight of the two most important women in his life getting along so well.

Apart from Catherine no one else came to visit them over Christmas, something which neither of them really minded. Harry's parents had both passed away, as had Ruth's dad, and she hadn't been on speaking terms with her mother since her exile. Though he had tried several times Harry still hadn't been able to get in touch with Graham, something he regretted deeply, especially during the holiday season. Their workload didn't leave them much time for friends, and as they already spent more time with their colleagues than was probably considered healthy they figured it would be good not seeing them for a few days.

New Year's Eve, however, was celebrated in a very different manner. Nobody wanted to volunteer to take the night shift on the 31st, so in the end Harry had decided to settle the debacle in a very basic, but infallible matter by flipping a coin. Tariq and Dimitri were the unlucky ones, and they weren't happy about it. Therefore, with Harry's consent of course, Beth and Athena had decided to have a New Year's Eve party on the Grid to keep the officers on duty company. All of Section D had been invited, so on the night in question a group of around 15 people had gathered on the Grid. Beth and Athena had done their best to make their otherwise dull-looking workplace look somewhat festive with some sparkly decorations and a big sign above the pods that read 'Happy 2011'. And of course they had made sure that there was enough mistletoe hanging from the ceiling in various places across the room.

The party was in full swing and everyone was enjoying themselves, sharing a drink and talking animatedly. Harry was talking to Tariq and Malcolm, who had been invited as well, but quickly excused himself as the two techies switched to conversational topics that made his head spin.

He looked around for a moment, trying to locate Ruth. Soon he had found her, standing back from the crowd, leaning against one of the desks, seemingly observing all that was happening around her. Harry stopped for a moment, taking his time to look at her properly. She was wearing a midnight blue dress which clung to every curve and enhanced the colour of her eyes beautifully. He felt as though he could watch her forever and not get bored.

"The idea of a party is that you're supposed to mingle," he said, smiling, as he approached her.

Ruth smiled back at him. "I know, I was just taking a little breather. I feel as though I've been talking to people non-stop since we arrived."

"Are you ok?" Harry asked as he leaned against the desk as well. He sounded concerned.

She nodded. "I'm fine, I'm enjoying myself."

"People watching without a back-up team eh?" he said and Ruth grinned.

"Something like that, yes," she replied.

They sat for a while side by side in companionable silence, laughing as they watched Dimitri's many attempts to lure either Beth or Athena into standing under the mistletoe so he could kiss them, and failing every time.

Midnight was approaching fast so they got up and joined the rest of the party again. As everyone started the countdown he grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him, all the while retaining eye contact. The moment the countdown ended and a chorus of 'Happy New Year' could be heard around them, he cupped her face with both hands and kissed her lovingly, no longer caring that they were surrounded by co-workers. Ruth didn't care either, she allowed to completely lose herself in the kiss, and as they finally broke apart she noticed that hardly anyone had been paying attention anyway. They were too busy wishing each other a Happy New Year, one way or the other.

She turned around and nudged Harry, motioning him to do the same. They both smiled knowingly as they spotted Dimitri and Beth in a corner of the Grid, most definitely overstepping the boundaries of two colleagues wishing one another a Happy New Year.

They left about an hour later while the party was still in full swing. Harry had suggested they leave after noticing how tired Ruth looked. She, in turn, had protested at first, telling him she was feeling fine. But in the end she had to admit that she was really rather tired, and that she'd like to go home. After bidding their colleagues goodnight and saying goodbye to Malcolm, ensuring him that they'd be in touch soon, they exited through the pods. Ruth failed to suppress a smile as she realised that both Beth and Dimitri were nowhere to be found.

* * *

A few days into the new year the weather had taken a turn for the worse. Heavy snowfall combined with icy cold temperatures had made the roads practically impassable, and public life had almost entirely come to a standstill.

Harry, however, didn't seem to mind at all. This morning they had been snowed in so badly that he decided that if he couldn't get to work because of the weather, neither could any possible terrorists, so he decided that both he and Ruth should take the day off. After making an attempt to take Scarlet for a walk without slipping and breaking something he was now safely back inside. Ruth had lit the fire in the living room and the two of them snuggled closely together on the sofa while Scarlet made herself comfortable in front of the fire, basking in the warmth and soon drifting off into a peaceful slumber.

Ruth sighed contentedly as Harry wrapped his arms firmly around her. At first she hadn't liked the idea of skipping a day of work, but now she started to reconsider. Maybe being snowed in wasn't all that bad. Harry, meanwhile, shifted uncomfortably as he felt the little square box in his trouser pocket dig into his leg. In it was his mother's engagement ring, which he had been carrying around with him for a few days now. He had been waiting for the right moment to give it to Ruth, and he was wondering whether that moment had now finally arrived.

He thought back to the day his mother had given him the ring. It had been shortly before she died. It was almost as if she had known that time was of the essence. She had made him promise to keep it safe and that, when the time was right, he would give it to the woman he loved. Harry had realised that she had never made a gesture like this one when he had been with Jane, which only confirmed his suspicion that his mother had never liked her in the first place.

Though he had never expected to find love again, he had promised his mother to give it to the woman he loved. And now, after having been locked away in the safe in his study for years, it was finally time to fulfil that promise. The ring was positively burning a hole in his pocket, and he decided that this was the moment he'd been waiting for.

In a very smooth movement he slipped from their embrace and kneeled in front of her. Ruth, surprised by his sudden course of action sat up a little straighter and looked at him, questioningly.

"H-harry, what are you doing?" she asked.

He smiled knowingly and removed the box from his trouser pocket. He handed it to her and she took hold of it, her hands shaking slightly.

"Open it," he encouraged her gently.

She opened the box and gasped as she saw what lay hidden within its confines. The ring had a white-gold band with a blue sapphire in the middle, surrounded by smaller white diamonds. She was lost for words and just continued staring at it, her index finger carefully tracing the precious stones.

Harry took one of her hands in his, urging her to look at him. "I felt I should do this properly, but I'm not 25 anymore and I can't stay in this kneeling position forever," he joked.

Ruth laughed, though her eyes were already brimming with tears, threatening to spill at any second.

"I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Ruth, please make me the happiest man alive and say that you'll marry me."

She nodded as the first tears started to fall and pulled him up, motioning him to sit next to her again. "I will," she whispered as she moved to kiss him.

Both smiled into the kiss, overwhelmed by the emotions and love they were feeling.

Harry took the ring out of the box and slid it around Ruth's finger. It fitted perfectly.

He brought her hand up to his lips and planted a soft kiss on it, all the while never breaking their eye contact. She drew him to her for another kiss to which he eagerly responded. He moved to lay her down on the sofa and started showering her with feather light kisses. Her lips, her face, her neck, her collarbone, every inch of skin he could reach. They both knew where this was headed and Ruth stopped him momentarily.

"Not here," she said.

He nodded, realising that she probably wasn't very comfortable like that on the sofa in her condition.

Harry helped her get up and, without letting go of her hand for one second, led her upstairs quickly.

Ruth couldn't suppress a smile as they reached the landing. Maybe the occasional day off wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

**More soon(ish). Please review! xx**


	15. Chapter 15

**I'm in bed with the flu and nothing else to do than write fic, hence the long chapter. Any mistakes in this chapter will be down to said flu, sorry about that. I hope it'll be enjoyable to read anyway.**

* * *

The pods swished open and Ruth stepped out, smiling broadly as she entered the Grid. Athena and Dimitri were already there, while Beth was out meeting an asset.

"Good morning everyone," she said, obviously in a good mood.

Dimitri shot Athena a knowing look. "Μοιάζει με κάποιον που είχε μια καληνύχτα" (looks like someone had a good night).

Athena grinned and replied. "Δεν υπάρχει αμφιβολία γι 'αυτό" (no doubt about that).

"παρατήρησης ικανότητές σας είναι άψογη Δημήτρη" (your observational skills are impeccable Dimitri), Ruth said as she sat down behind her desk.

"Too bad you seem to have forgotten that I can speak Greek," she continued. "And in case you were wondering, I had an absolutely wonderful night."

Ruth looked rather smugly as she saw identical looks of shock and horror wash over both her colleagues' faces.

Right on cue the pods swished open again and Harry entered, whistling a happy tune and appearing to be equally happy as Ruth. He stopped dead in his tracks, however, when he noticed Dimitri's horrified look.

"Anything the matter Mr. Levendis?" he asked as he raised a questioning eyebrow.

Dimitri, now white as a sheet, shook his head as he struggled to formulate an answer of some sorts. "N-n-no I'm f-fine," he stammered eventually.

"Are you sure? Because you do look awfully pale," Harry continued. "Did you sleep well?"

He nodded. "Oh y-yes, just fine thanks."

"Hmm so did I….eventually" Harry said, gazing past Dimitri at Ruth, who blushed feverishly as her eyes met his.

"I er…I just realised I should go and check out something," Dimitri mumbled as he made a hasty retreat to the registry, hoping and praying that someday he'd be able to rid himself of the mental images this moment had imprinted onto his retina.

"We'll have a briefing as soon as Beth returns," Harry said to Ruth, Athena, and Tariq, who had arrived just after Dimitri had fled.

"Until then I'll be in my office," he said, making his way there past Ruth's desk and brushing his fingers against hers for a fleeting moment as he did so.

Ruth blushed again as Harry's fingers came into contact with hers. She hoped she'd be able to blame her rosy cheeks on pregnancy hormones, but somehow she doubted it. Luckily she was past caring what other people thought now. She and Harry were happy and that was all that mattered.

She'd had her 20 week scan a few days ago and luckily everything was as it should be. It had been a lot more clearer than her first scan, and they had been able to make out something that actually looked like a proper baby instead of just a grey blob.

Harry hadn't said much at the time, he mainly had been holding her hand and kissed her. But she could've sworn that, in an unguarded moment when he thought nobody was looking, she had seen him brush away a stray tear. Of course she hadn't mentioned this to him, both because she didn't want to embarrass him and because she believed that everyone deserved their own private moments without having to share them with everyone unless they actually wanted to.

She opened her diary and smiled as she looked at the scan picture which had been tucked inside it. For a moment she traced the contours with her index finger, then closed her diary again and went to work.

* * *

In the early hours of the afternoon the atmosphere changed dramatically after Harry had received a call from Whitehall about a last minute scheduled visit of the American President, who would be arriving in just 20 hours' time. Suddenly the Grid turned into a buzzing hive of activity with all of its members on high alert. Soon the pressure increased even more when an American delegation arrived to oversee the preparations.

Everyone was forced to work round the clock non-stop, save the occasional 10 minute break. The Americans were very demanding, even more demanding than they usually were, if that were at all possible. Everything had to be triple, sometimes even quadruple checked before they approved anything.

Midnight was approaching fast and Harry knew that his team was exhausted. He started sending core members of his team, including Ruth, home to get some much needed sleep. Of course his American counterpart didn't agree, but Harry wouldn't budge. "I need my team at my very best," he had said, "and this'll only happen if they get some sleep."

Eventually the Americans caved in, on the condition that Harry would stay behind to monitor the security details along with them.

"Promise me to get as much rest as you can," Harry said as he helped Ruth into her coat.

She shot him a questioning look. "Aren't you coming home with me?"

Harry shook his head. "At first they didn't want anyone going home, so in the end we settled on a compromise."

"But you need sleep just as much as we do," Ruth protested.

"I'll be fine," Harry reassured her. "I've gone without sleep before and I survived. Besides, it'll be good practice," he said, gesturing to her bump.

Ruth sighed. "Alright then, I'll see you tomorrow morning. Make sure you don't get too worked up by the Cousins."

"I can't promise anything, but I will definitely try," he murmured as he kissed her fleetingly.

Ruth looked up and showed him one of her dazzling smiles, which soon morphed into a yawn.

"Now go," he said, guiding her towards the pods. "Sweet dreams."

* * *

By the time the team returned in the morning Harry was positively exhausted, and more on edge than he could remember ever being before. The President's plane was scheduled to land in 3 hours and they still had an enormous amount of work to do before then.

Three men, probably Americans, barged onto the Grid and made for Harry's office immediately. Ruth's head poked out from behind her computer screen to try and see what was going on. By the exasperated look on Harry's face she could tell that it was more bad news. Ruth knew she shouldn't be spying on what was going on in the office, she had enough work to get on with. But Harry looked as though all energy had been drained from him, and Ruth was worried.

Just as she decided she should get back to her security checks, she felt something and froze mid-movement. One hand moved to her belly and soon she felt it again, a tiny flutter of movement. Her heart was doing somersaults as it dawned on her that she had just felt the baby kick for the first time. She looked up to see if anyone had noticed her change in behaviour, but was glad to find everyone was still engrossed in their respective tasks. She glanced at Harry's office again and noticed that the men were still inside, arguing.

For a while she debated whether she should go in there or not. After all, she was sure she'd be interrupting a very tense and heated debate. But on the other hand, this was _their_ baby and _their _moment and she wanted to share it with Harry. He promised he'd be there every step of the way, and nobody could stop him from staying true to his words, not even the Americans.

She quickly grabbed a couple of random files and hurried over to his office, this time bothering to knock before she entered.

"Harry!" she started as she barged in, slightly out of breath.

He turned around, surprised to see her there. "Ruth, everything alright?" he asked.

"Me? Oh yes I'm fine," she said. "There's just something I…"

"Is this about the security measures?" one of the Americans interrupted.

"What? N-no it isn't, everything's fine," Ruth said. "It's just that…"

"Anything to do with the President's visit at all?" the man went on, interrupting her again.

"It isn't actually, but…"

"Then it can wait," one of the others said.

"Now wait a minute," Harry began. "I'm still in charge around here and I will_ not_ have you address any of my officers in that manner, understood?"

"But Sir Harry.." one of the men began.

"Do not test my patience," he said. "I'm warning you."

Harry turned to Ruth. "I'm sorry, but anything that's nothing to do with our current focal point will have to wait I'm afraid."

"I know Harry but.." Ruth protested, but it was futile.

"Not now!" he bellowed, a little louder than any of them had expected, and for a moment the office was basking in silent.

"Fine," she huffed, turning around quickly so nobody would see the tears that were already gathering behind her eyelids.

"Ruth I.." Harry started, but she interrupted him.

"No it's fine, I'll let you get on with the important things." She said and quickly left his office, slamming the door behind her.

Harry shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger as he tried to recompose himself. He was exhausted and not thinking straight, and although he had no idea what all of this had been about just now, he feared it might've been something important.

* * *

Three hours later the crisis was averted, the President had landed safely, and Section D's work was finally done. Harry stepped out of his office onto the main part of the Grid to congratulate everyone on a job well done. He immediately noticed however, that one person was missing.

"Beth, where's Ruth?" he asked as he approached his Section Chief.

The blonde shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. She left as soon as the work was done, mumbling something about needing fresh air and wanting to be alone."

Harry sighed in exasperation.

"Is anything the matter?" Beth asked.

"I'm not sure," Harry said. "Tell everyone they can clock off to the George, celebratory drinks are on me."

He quickly grabbed his coat and exited the Grid. His mind was reeling with possibilities of where Ruth could be and what was the matter with her. He had tried the rooftop first but there was nobody there.

He left Thames House and started walking towards the river, shivering as the icy cold February wind hit him. Harry could easily spot her a mile off as he approached 'their' bench. He was glad to see her wearing her woolly hat and scarf to protect her from the bitter cold. Hadn't he been so tired and worried, he would have smiled at the sight of her sitting there, quite statue-like, clad in black leather boots and her black coat. It was straining around her abdomen now, she had been complaining about it just days before, but due to their busy schedule she hadn't been able to buy a new one just yet.

"I thought I might find you here," he said as he sat down next to her.

Ruth didn't acknowledge his presence and continued staring out across the river.

"Please Ruth," Harry said, feeling her tense as he took hold of her hand. "I was a bastard in my office just now, and I can't tell you how sorry I am. But please just talk to me."

Finally she turned to face him, and he could tell from her red puffy eyes and black streaks of mascara that she'd been crying. "You really were a bastard," she said, failing to stop her voice from trembling.

Harry nodded. "Yes I was, and I'm so sorry to have upset you," he said as he lovingly wiped a few stray tears from her cheeks. "I was tired and on edge, but I know that's no excuse. I should have controlled my temper and taken it out on the Cousins and not on you."

"But please tell me what's the matter," Harry continued.

Ruth shrugged her shoulders. "It doesn't matter, it's too late now anyway."

"Just tell me," Harry urged her on.

She looked up at him. "The baby kicked for the first time and I thought you might want to feel it."

Harry was mentally kicking himself. He couldn't believe he had missed the moment they'd both been so looking forward to. No wonder Ruth was so upset.

"I-I really don't know what to say," he began, "other than that I feel awful for behaving like that and so disappointed that I missed the moment."

He cupped her face with his gloved hands, urging her to look at him. "Can you forgive me?"

She nodded. "Of course. I understand the strain you've been under, but I can't help but feeling disappointed. I wanted us to experience the moment together."

"So did I, Ruth," he said before kissing her. "More than you know," he whispered as he rested his forehead against hers.

They sat like that for a moment until Ruth said she was getting cold.

"Let's go home then," Harry said as he took her hand in his.

Ruth moved to get up but then stopped suddenly.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

She didn't say anything but instead placed his hand on her bump. For a moment nothing happened, but then he felt it, and unmistakable kick.

He smiled and leaned in to kiss her when his phone rang.

"Aren't you going to answer that?" Ruth asked as Harry ignored the ringing.

He shook his head.

"It might be important," Ruth continued. "It could be the Americans."

"Bugger the Americans, Ruth," he said grinningly.

He moved his face down closer to her belly and rubbed it softly as he felt another kick. "Hello little one," he whispered. "I'm your dad."

* * *

**Thanks for reading. I'm sure reviews will cheer me up immensely!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Again many thanks for the lovely reviews. They really cheered me up, and my flu is gone so I'm feeling a lot better now. More fluff in this chapter!**

* * *

"Honestly Ruth, I think you should try it," Beth said, seated behind her desk.

Ruth shook her head. "I don't think it's really my sort of thing."

"But it's supposed to be really good for you," Beth continued. "At least that's what my cousin says."

"What are we talking about?" Dimitri asked as he joined them, cup of coffee in hand.

"Prenatal yoga classes," Beth answered. "My cousin teaches them and I was just telling Ruth about it, but she's not interested."

"It's not that I'm not interested," Ruth protested. "I just don't think it's right for me."

Dimitri nodded in agreement. "My sister went to those classes. She said they were really helpful."

Ruth sighed exasperated. "Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate your thoughtfulness and the fact that the two of you want to help me. But I tried yoga once and it didn't do anything for me, so if you don't mind I don't think I will try it."

Both nodded. "Alright," Dimitri said. "You should do what feels right for you. We won't push you any further, will we Beth?"

She shook her head. "Of course not. We just want what's best for you."

"Thank you," Ruth said genuinely.

They were all silent for a moment. Dimitri finished drinking his coffee and Ruth made some last-minute changes to a file she was about to print.

Beth looked pensive. "How about prenatal zumba classes?" she suddenly exclaimed.

Dimitri sighed and Ruth groaned, grabbed her newly printed file and sped off in the direction of Harry's office.

"Nice one Bailey, you managed to chase her away now." Dimitri said.

"Oh shut up Levendis," Beth replied and threw a stapler at him.

* * *

She entered his office and stopped for a moment, taking in the sight before her. Harry was sat behind his desk, engrossed in one of the many files in front of him , a pair of reading glasses carefully perched on his nose. He hated the fact that he needed them, and would only wear them in his office or in the privacy of his own home. Ruth loved it when he wore them and thought it made him look very sexy.

She was roused from her daydream by Harry's voice. "Didn't your mother ever tell you that staring is awfully rude?" he said teasingly.

Ruth blinked a couple of times and walked over to his desk. "I've got a form for you to sign," she said as she placed the sheet of paper in front of him.

"Thank you," he said, looking up at her briefly and smiling, before returning his attention to the file in front of him.

Ruth, however, didn't move, and instead lingered by his desk. After a moment Harry looked up again. "Anything the matter?" he asked.

She shook her head nervously, but refused to meet his gaze.

"Ruth?" he said sternly.

She sighed. "I just don't feel like going back out there again. Beth and Dimitri won't leave me alone for one second. I know they mean well but they're getting on my nerves."

Harry got up and moved around his desk, motioning Ruth to sit down while he perched himself on the edge of his desk. "Now, what is it this time?" he asked.

"They keep going on about all these different kinds of prenatal classes I could attend. Especially Beth won't leave me be, even though I've told her several times that I'm not interested."

Harry chuckled. It all sounded very like Beth.

"Haven't you told her you already went to one of those classes?" he asked.

Ruth shook her head. "I thought it wise not to tell her. She'd either bombard me with questions about it, or worse, offer to come with me."

"God forbid," Harry grinned.

"So you see my problem?" she continued.

Harry nodded. "Hmm I believe I do. That's the thing with Beth. She gets carried away very easily."

"Which is one of the reasons I'm glad I no longer live with her," Ruth said. "Don't get me wrong, she was great company at times, but sometimes just a bit...overbearing. And I mean that in the nicest possible way of course."

"Of course," Harry smiled knowingly.

"By the way," Harry continued. "Have you considered continuing with those classes?" he asked.

Ruth shook her head. "They're not my thing."

"Are you sure?" Harry asked. "They could be helpful."

Ruth hadn't actually told anyone the real reason why she didn't want to go. A few weeks before she had mustered up the courage to attend an antenatal class, and she had dragged Harry along with her. She had been sceptical about them beforehand, and her aversion of them had only increased as the class progressed.

First of all everyone in the class, both men and women, including the instructor, had been a lot younger than either of them. In her view she and Harry had stuck out like a sore thumb, and it had instantly made her feel uncomfortable. She knew these thoughts were irrational and that she had just as much right to be there as any of them, but in spite of that she still wasn't completely at ease.

Not only that, but also the much too cheerful mood of the instructor, bordering on happy-clappy, had annoyed Ruth beyond belief. Though it had really been the sodding limit when she had referred to the group as 'yummy mummies'. It was then that Ruth knew she could take no more of this nonsense, and had vowed to herself never to return again.

Secretly Harry was glad that Ruth wasn't so keen on going to any more of these classes. He had gone with her for support, but he had found the experience most awkward. All the time they'd been there he'd had the feeling that people were staring at him. Most of them were probably wondering what an old man like him was doing there, or at least that's what he assumed they must have been thinking. He had never gone to any of those classes with Jane. Back then he had been far too busy and, he felt ashamed to admit it, he hadn't really cared about those kinds of things either.

But this time he had been determined to do things properly, to be there every step of the way. And now matter how uneasy and awkward he felt, he would continue to be there for Ruth at all times and at all costs.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Well if you don't want to go then perhaps you shouldn't. Women have delivered babies for centuries without the aid of these classes, so I'm sure you'll be fine." he smiled encouragingly at her.

Ruth breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad you agree," she said. "For a moment I was afraid I'd get this massive lecture on the importance of preparing my body for giving birth."

Harry leaned forward, his face just centimetres away from hers. "I would never lecture you on anything. You should just listen to your own body and do what feels right."

"Thank you," Ruth said as she moved to kiss him.

Harry responded eagerly to the kiss, pulling Ruth to her feet and wrapping his arms around her. He was glad that he had closed his office blinds earlier on, otherwise the rest of the Grid would have had to witness the little show they were putting on. He pulled her even closer to him and started planting kisses along her jawline and her neck. She let him go on for a while, but eventually Ruth pulled back and looked him in the eye. His eyes were dark with desire, mirroring her own at that moment.

"We should probably get some work done instead of fumbling around in your office all day," she said, still slightly out of breath.

"I know, but this is much more fun," Harry said, trying to draw her closer to him again. Ruth, however, placed a hand against his chest by means of stopping him.

"Later," she said. "I know the day is far from over yet, but I'll make it worth your while. I promise you." She smiled at him seductively.

"Promises promises Ruth," he said, brushing a stray lock of her from her face and pushing it behind her ear.

Ruth was just about to give in to temptation and kiss him again when they both froze and looked down simultaneously. As they had drawn closer to each other Ruth's bump had come into contact with Harry's stomach.

"Ruth, I believe your stomach has just kicked me," Harry said jokingly.

She looked at him in disbelief. "I can't believe you actually felt that."

"It wasn't very strong, but I definitely felt something," he said.

"Well it was a pretty hard kick," Ruth said. "They have become much more intense lately."

"It's a lively little one," Harry said as he rubbed her bump lovingly, hoping to feel another kick.

"Tell me about it," Ruth said in mock-annoyance. "And it seems your child is most active at night. I've hardly slept a wink all week."

"Oh so now it's my child eh?" he said teasingly.

"I'm the one carrying the baby, so it's my prerogative to change my mind whenever I please," she replied. She tried to sound serious, but the smile she failed to suppress gave her away.

Harry was still slowly rubbing circles on her abdomen, and was rewarded with another kick. He felt he could do this all day and not get bored. Ruth's pregnancy fascinated him ceaselessly and he felt as though his love and admiration for her increased by the day, if that were at all possible. If his heart swelled with even more love and pride than he was feeling at the moment, he feared that at some point he would spontaneously implode.

Suddenly he realised Ruth was talking to him, though he hadn't heard a word of what she'd been saying.

"Harry? Are you even listening to me?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Sorry, I was miles away."

"As I was saying," she repeated herself. "I was asking you if your quality time with the baby was nearly over, because I do have some work I need to be getting on with."

"Oh yes, uh, of course. Sorry about that."

Ruth smiled and kissed him one last time. "I'll be in the registry if you need me."

She moved to walk away but Harry stopped her. He lovingly placed his hand on her belly again and leaned in just a bit. "Now behave yourself and give your mum a break. She's got some important work to do," he spoke sternly to her bump.

Ruth smiled and playfully pushed him away from her. "And to think they used to say I was bonkers."

"Oh you still are, trust me." Harry answered.

In response Ruth slapped his arm playfully and walked away, leaving a broadly grinning Harry behind.

Harry quickly moved to open his blinds so he could catch a last glimpse of her before she disappeared into the registry. He saw her walk across the Grid, stopping at her desk to pick up a few things. He smiled to himself as he saw her rub her bump subconsciously as she walked on.

Ruth felt his eyes burning into her back the moment she had stepped out of his office. It didn't matter where she was or what she was doing, she always knew when he was watching her. It was almost as though she had developed a sixth sense for it. She chose to pretend as though she hadn't noticed and casually walked along the main part of the Grid, grabbing a few things here and there that she needed. Only just before she walked into the registry she turned around, throwing him the briefest of smiles before disappearing out of sight altogether.

* * *

**Thank you for reading.**

**Please review! xx  
**


	17. Chapter 17

**We are nearing the end. Just 3 or 4 more chapters to go after this one. I had intended for this to be one chapter, but it went on for far too long so I had to split it into two separate ones. Pictures to accompany this chapter are in the photobucket folder on my profile!  
**

* * *

"So, are we all clear on this?" Harry asked as the team all nodded their agreement.

Just at that moment the meeting room doors opened and Ruth hurried in, clutching a stack of files. "Oh you started without me. Sorry I'm late, I was just gathering some last-minute Intel on the unrest in Syria."

"That's alright Ruth, " Harry said. I was just briefing the team about the launch of an operation in Paris."

"Paris?" Ruth sounded surprised. "I didn't think there was anything important going on in Paris at the moment."

"Hmm there is. Lots of important things." Harry evaded the question. "You and I will be leaving on the Eurostar at 5 pm."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "I'm coming with you? On an undercover operation?"

"We need two people posing as a couple on a weekend trip. And I think we just about fit that description, don't you think?" Harry said, smiling mischievously.

"I suppose we do," Ruth said as she sat down. The idea of going away for the weekend with Harry, even if it were just for operational purposes, sounded very appealing to her.

"Right, that's settled then," Harry said. "I need to get going now."

He turned to Ruth. "Don't worry about packing or anything, because I've already done that. Just finish up whatever you're currently working on and make sure you're ready to leave around 4."

"But what about our legends?" Ruth asked. "And you haven't even told me what the operation's about yet."

"I'll explain later," he said. "Tariq's still working on our legends, aren't you Tariq?" Harry turned to the techie.

"Oh er..yes, I still have some work to do on them," he answered nervously.

"Good. Now I really need to go, or else I'll be late for my meeting with the Home Secretary." Harry said. And with that he left, leaving a very baffled Ruth behind.

* * *

At exactly 4 o'clock Harry returned to the Grid where Ruth was already waiting for him, all set and ready to go. He quickly led her outside to where his driver was waiting, and soon they were on their way to St. Pancras.

"You still haven't told me what's going on," Ruth said as she turned to Harry.

"All in good time my dear," he said. "I'll tell you once we're on the train."

Ruth raised her eyebrows. "Fine," was all she said.

She didn't say anything further. She had decided to make the most of this weekend, even if it was work related. Although it frustrated her beyond belief, she was sure Harry had his reasons for not telling her yet, so she'd just wait until they had boarded the train.

Once they were settled in, in their comfy first class train compartment, Ruth decided to ask Harry one more time.

"Can you please finally tell me what exactly this operation's all about. It's driving me mad, and we haven't even worked on our legends yet."

"There is no operation," Harry said, smiling knowingly.

Ruth just stared at him in disbelief. "What do you mean 'no operation'?"

"I wanted it to be a surprise," he explained. "We've both worked really hard recently and we deserved to get away for a few days. We've never been away together and soon we won't be able to because of the baby," he said, lovingly placing his hand on her rather large bump.

"Also," he continued, "I wanted to take you somewhere special for your birthday, but because that rather inconveniently coincides with the royal wedding that was never going to happen."

She smiled at him. "Well it certainly was a surprise. I never saw this coming."

"Good," he said. "That's what I was aiming for."

She reached up to kiss him."Thank you."

He cupped her face and eagerly kissed her back, glad of the fact that they had their own private train compartment. She slid her hands under his jacket, running them up and down his back while his hands slipped under her blouse, tracing patterns on her bare skin. She gasped at the sensations he was creating and this made him realise where they were, so he quickly but reluctantly pulled back.

"Best not continue this here," he murmured.

Ruth shook her head."N-no, best not."

"But if that preview was anything to go by," he continued, "I think I'm going to rather like this weekend away," he whispered in her ear seductively.

She shuddered slightly with anticipation as he whispered those last words to her. She gave him one last chaste kiss before leaning back against him, allowing him to wrap his strong arms around her, and enjoy the rest of the journey.

* * *

When they arrived at Gare du Nord two hours later there was a taxi already waiting to take them to their hotel.

By the time they got to the hotel it was starting to get dark and Ruth, though she had been to Paris several times, couldn't quite make out where they were. After checking in at reception a bell boy led them to their room, which was on the 9th floor. He unlocked the door and brought their suitcases inside, then stepped aside allowing the two of them to enter, but not before he received a rather large tip from Harry.

"Merci monsieur," he said, handing Harry the key to the room, and then quickly scurried off to leave the two guests to explore their room.

Ruth gasped as she walked into the suite. "Oh Harry it's absolutely amazing!"

"I'm glad you like it," he said as he closed the door behind him.

"I love it," she said. "It's so beautiful."

It really was a beautiful suite. It had a large four-poster bed with soft white bed sheets and lots of fluffy pillows, a sitting area with a cream coloured sofa and an antique coffee table with a white table cloth draped over it. From the ceiling hung a small but beautiful chandelier, and there was even a dressing table with a large mirror above it. There were beautiful long curtains draped everywhere, even around the bed. Ruth hoped there'd be a balcony as well.

She sighed as she sat down on the bed. "I don't think I've ever stayed in a hotel quite as beautiful as this one."

Harry sat down next to her on the bed, wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder. "It wasn't easy to book a room here at such short notice, but when I saw the pictures I knew you'd love it, so I just had to bring you here," he said.

"I hope you didn't have to go through too much trouble on my behalf."

"Not at all," he said as he started planting feather light kisses on her neck. "It was my pleasure."

Just as she was getting used to the lovely sensations he was creating, he stopped. "Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Hmm..just a bit," she answered, which quickly turned into a yawn. "But I don't feel like getting all dressed up and going out tonight."

"Then why don't you go and have a shower while I order us some room service. How does that sound?" Harry asked.

Ruth nodded and got up. "Alright."

Harry got up as well and quickly grabbed her hand, pulling her toward him again and kissed her once more.

"What was that for?" Ruth asked as they broke apart.

"Oh, no particular reason," he answered. "I just like kissing you."

Ruth beamed. "Good answer. Now go and order some food, I'm hungry." And with that she walked into the direction of the bathroom.

* * *

Harry smiled to himself as he dialled the number to order room service. He could hear Ruth singing in the shower. It was some pop song that sounded vaguely familiar and which he had probably heard on the radio once or twice, though he couldn't for the life of him remember the name of the song, or who sung it for that matter. He should really convince Ruth to join a choir again, he thought to himself. Her talent was wasted on these shower recitals. Just then his train of thought was interrupted as his phone call was answered. He quickly placed his order, and by the time he hung up the phone Ruth was just coming out of the bathroom.

She was dressed in one of the hotel's fluffy bathrobes and wet strands of hair were curling around her face. He thought she'd never looked more beautiful.

Ruth looked up and caught Harry staring at her. His eyes bore into her and he looked as though he was planning on devouring her there and then. Both knew that dinner would be arriving soon so they quickly snapped out of it. Instead Harry walked over to where she was standing and grabbed her hand.

"I need to show you something," he said as he led her to one side of the room.

Harry opened the curtains and it revealed a large balcony complete with a table and two chairs. But that wasn't what caught Ruth's attention. It was the view. He quickly opened the French windows and they stepped onto the balcony, leaned on the railing and gazed out over the river Seine, with the Eiffel Tower not far off.

"This really is perfect," Ruth sighed after they had been standing there for a while, both just marvelling at the exquisite view that outstretched before them.

Harry was just about to reply when he heard a knock on their door, announcing that their food had arrived, so he stepped back inside to get it.

In spite of the chilly night air they had their dinner outside because they wanted to take in as much of the view as they possibly could. Just as they had finished eating the clocks struck 10, and the Eiffel tower started to illuminate. The countless lights flickered on and off, giving a spectacular lightshow to everyone in the surrounding area. Both stood up again to have a better view of the spectacle.

Far below herds of tourists were packed together, all trying to take the perfect holiday snap. But to Harry and Ruth, high up on their balcony, it was as though the lights were shining just for them. They stood there, arms wrapped around each other, in an utter contented bliss. And while all around them the world continued as normal, for them it seemed like time stood still. Neither of them could remember a time when they'd felt this happy, and they didn't want the moment to end.

When the spectacle ended Ruth let out a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding. She heard Harry do the same.

"That was amazing," she whispered, her arms still firmly wrapped around Harry.

"It was," Harry agreed. "And a nice intermission after our dinner, too."

"I wonder what's for afters." Ruth said.

"You know what's for afters," he whispered seductively as he placed butterfly kisses along her jaw line.

"Hmm..I'm afraid I don't so perhaps you'll have to freshen my memory Mr. Pearce," she said hoarsely.

"Well I'm afraid I don't know all the details. But I do know that it involves you, me, and a certain four-poster bed."

"That sounds lovely," she replied as she started unbuttoning his shirt, placing kisses on the exposed skin as she did so.

"Believe me when I say Ruth, that lovely doesn't even begin to cover it," he growled.

Ruth shrieked in surprise which soon turned into a laugh as Harry, quite unexpectedly, picked her up and carried her back inside.

* * *

**Thanks again for reading. Please review and I'll try to update as soon as possible. Up next will be Paris, part deux :) xx**


	18. Chapter 18

**Reviews have decreased again, so I can only hope that people are still enjoying this. Just 2 or 3 chapters to go now, so I really hope you'll be sticking with it till the end.**

**Anyway, here's Paris part 2 as promised :)  
**

* * *

Waking up well rested as the sunlight streams into the room as opposed to be woken at the crack of dawn by the shrill bleeping of an alarm was something neither Ruth nor Harry were used to, and Harry found it very refreshing that for once in his life he didn't feel rushed the moment he opened his eyes.

He had been lying on his back and turned over on his left side, expecting Ruth to still be asleep. Instead he was greeted by a much more pleasant sight. She was lying on her side as well with her head propped up on her right hand. Her hair was tousled and her naked form only half covered by the white bed sheets.

Harry watched her for a moment, drinking in the sight before him, trying to commit every single detail to memory. Ruth never seized to amaze him. Every time he thought she couldn't possibly look any more beautiful, she managed to prove him wrong once again.

"Hi," he said as he smiled at her.

She smiled back. "Hi yourself."

"Have you been awake long?" he asked.

"A while," she sighed. "The little one's being really active again. Won't stop kicking," she said.

Harry reached out and stroked her bump lovingly, chuckling as he felt another strong kick. "Was that a foot?" he asked.

"Hmm..probably an elbow," Ruth answered.

"In that case he or she has got a mean left hook," Harry said.

"Tell me about it," Ruth said dryly. "It kept me awake half the night."

"Oh really, I thought that was my doing," Harry whispered seductively as he moved closer to her, their faces just millimetres apart. She was sure he was going to kiss her. She closed her eyes, parted her lips slightly..and then she felt him move away.

Her eyes shot open again in surprise and she looked at him. "What did you do that for?"

"If I continue we'll never get out of bed and there's a whole city out there waiting to be explored," he said. "It would be a shame to let such a beautiful day go to waste."

Ruth sighed, but she knew he had a point. "Alright then," she said, "you're probably right about that. So what are we going to do today?"

"Whatever you want Ruth," he replied. "After all, this trip is your early birthday present."

A broad smile etched itself onto her face. She knew exactly what she wanted to do.

* * *

After a delicious continental breakfast they left the hotel and made for the riverbank. It was a beautiful, sunny morning in early April, the perfect weather for a nice long walk.

The water of the river Seine glistened from the rays of sunshine that reflected off it, and it gave the city a truly magical appearance. Ruth slipped her hand into Harry's and gave it a light squeeze as they strolled along. After a while they found a bench and sat down for a while, just gazing out over the river, enjoying the sunlight caressing their faces. Although it was a different city, a different riverbank, and a different bench, to them it felt the same. They felt comfortable, happy, and perfectly at ease in each other's company.

After a while they resumed their walk again, and soon they stumbled upon Ruth's next goal of that morning. Harry couldn't help but smile as he saw her eyes lit up with excitement the moment the stalls of the many booksellers along the Seine came into view.

Ruth carefully and thoroughly inspected every stall, picked up more books than either of them could possibly carry, and hackled about the prices with the booksellers in fluent and rapid French. Harry observed it all happily from a distance. Right at that moment some of the old, eccentric Ruth was bubbling to the surface. For a while she was the person she once was, the woman who had literally stumbled into his life all those years ago. The woman who was messy, chaotic, and utterly adorable at the same time.

He quickly rushed to her side when he saw her coming towards him, balancing a ridiculously high stack of books in her arms which were threatening to fall on the ground any second. He didn't even want to think about the amount of money she had probably spent in such a short timespan.

"If you continue like this," he said as he took a few books from her, "we'll need to buy an extra suitcase before we go home."

"I know, and I'm sorry," Ruth said. "But they had so many fantastic books and I just couldn't help myself."

"You're not actually sorry, are you?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Not really," she said cheekily. "You said it was my birthday treat and that I could do whatever I wanted. So I did."

Harry grinned. "Remind me never to give you free reign ever again when there are books in the vicinity."

"Well I got at least one book that's going to be useful for both of us," Ruth protested.

"Which one's that then?" Harry asked.

Ruth put the books down and started going through them. It wasn't long before she found the one she had been looking for and showed it to Harry.

*"_Le guide des plus beaux prénoms : tous les prénoms, leurs origines et significations._" he read out loud. "A book of baby names?"

Ruth nodded. "Should come in useful at some point, don't you think?"

He smiled at her. "Oh absolutely. But now let's find a taxi to get these books back to the hotel before I get a hernia," he joked.

* * *

After they dropped off the books at their hotel room they went out for lunch. After that they took the tube and went for a visit to the Musée d'Orsay. It had been years since either of them had been there so they took their time to take in all the masterpieces. It wasn't as if they didn't have enough museums in London, but they just never had the time to visit any of them, so they were making use of this rare moment to take all the time they could possibly need.

They literally criss-crossed the city that day, because after they were done in the museum they took another tube to the Champs-Elysees, where they walked around for a bit and had a drink, before finally ending up in Montmartre for dinner. When they finally got back to their hotel late at night they were positively exhausted, and both drifted off to sleep as soon as their head hit the pillow.

* * *

The next morning they were up and away again quite early, because they wanted to visit the Louvre before huge herds of tourists arrived who would inevitably swarm the place. They could still walk around in relative calm, and by the time they were ready to leave the crowds started coming in, so they had been there just in time.

It was again a beautiful sunny say, and because they figured they could do shopping in London as well, not to mention that they didn't have an inch of free space left in their luggage because of all of Ruth's new books, they decided to go to the Jardin Luxembourg to enjoy the beautiful day.

They walked around the beautiful park, along with all the rest of the people looking for a relatively peaceful hideaway amidst a bustling city. There were joggers, dog walkers, people running after small children, all out together to make the most of the sunny Sunday.

Both felt utterly content as they sat down in a lovely little bistro for a cup of coffee. Neither wanted for this trip to end.

* * *

"I can't believe we're going home already," Ruth said as they were on the Eurostar back to London again. It was late at night and the train raced sped through the French countryside towards Calais at an immense speed.

"These trips are always far too short," Harry agreed. "But did you have fun though?" he asked.

Ruth nodded as she snuggled a bit closer to him. "I did. It was just perfect, thank you." She said as she reached up and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

"It's funny," she continued, "but for once in my life I'm not looking forward to returning to London. Don't get me wrong, I love that city to bits and I missed it so much during my time away. But this weekend I felt so indescribably happy that I didn't miss it one bit. And, I never thought I'd say this, but I could easily see myself living in Paris."

"Really?" Harry sounded surprised.

"Well obviously I don't mean now, not under these circumstances. I'm not suggesting we should move to Paris. But had I been younger and…unattached, then I could've seen myself living there."

"You never lived abroad, did you? Before Cyprus I mean," Harry asked.

Ruth shook her head. "No, I never did."

"Why didn't you?" he asked. "I mean, with your knowledge of languages, your love for anything cultural or historical. It would only seem logical that at some point you'd go off somewhere, travel around, live in different places. So why didn't you?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose I was afraid," she said. "I felt safe in England. Safe in my own personal bubble in Oxford, learning about different languages, reading about rich cultures and histories of faraway lands. And then I got a job at GCHQ and then at 5 and, well you know the rest."

Harry nodded. "Do you ever regret any of the choices that you made?"

"No," Ruth said resolutely. "I might have regretted individual decisions at the time, but as a whole I've decided not to regret anything. After all it's brought me, it's brought _us _where we are right now, and I wouldn't want to change that for the world."

"You're quite right," Harry said and he kissed her softly.

Ruth sighed and nestled herself further in his embrace and soon she had drifted off to sleep.

Harry listened to the soft rhythm of her breathing for a while and decided to close his eyes for a moment as well. It wasn't long before sleep had taken him as well. And so they slept, dreaming of Paris, while the trains rushed onwards through the darkness, bringing them ever closer to home.

* * *

**Thanks again for reading and please review! xx**

*The title reads: _The guide to the most beautiful first names__: all first names, their origins and meanings_**  
**


	19. Chapter 19

**Thanks to all for reviewing the last chapter, you're all too sweet! Only 2 more chapters to go after this one. Hope you like it :)**

* * *

Harry sighed as he finished signing off the last documents of the day. It had been a long, boring day and he couldn't wait to go home and be with Ruth. She was only working 4 days a week in the run up to her maternity leave and today she'd had the day off. It had taken Harry a lot of pain and effort to make Ruth slow down just a little bit. Initially Harry had wanted her to take early leave, but Ruth had refused this. At first she had been adamant to continue working as normal until the last moment, but at 33 weeks she had to admit that perhaps working full-time was rather exhausting, and in the end she had agreed to settle on a 4-day workweek instead, as a kind of compromise.

And on her off days he missed her more than he had expected to. They had gotten so used to being together all the time, both at work and at home, and any time spent apart felt uneasy for both of them. Not only that, but Ruth was sorely missed professionally as well. Today they had run into some trouble when a Chechnya splinter group had taken some people hostage at the Russian Embassy. Athena had done her best to analyse the situation as good and as quickly as possible, but Harry was sure that Ruth would've done it so much better, and faster as well. Not a good prospect for the time when she would finally go on leave. Harry was afraid the team would be at a loss without her brilliant analytical skills.

Shrugging on his coat he switched off his desk lamp and made for the pods. Though it had only just gone 8 he was the last one still on the Grid. The rest of the team had gone home not long ago. Already it stroke him as odd not to see one solitary desk lamp still illuminated in the corner of his eye. That's another thing he needed to get used to.

Harry turned around and stepped through the pods, hoping his driver would already be waiting outside to take him home.

* * *

When he unlocked the front door and stepped inside he was greeted by Scarlet and the cats. The little dog was jumping around him enthusiastically while the cats meowed loudly by means of greeting him. He made sure to pat all three animals thoroughly, then called out to Ruth. When she didn't answer he looked around downstairs but she was nowhere to be found.

Though as soon as he walked up the stairs he could hear her singing. First he thought she must be in the shower, though he didn't hear the sound of running water. As he stepped onto the landing he could hear her voice much more clearly. She was singing along to a Beatles song, of which the name escaped him for the moment. Harry listened carefully, trying to locate where the singing was coming from. Soon he realised that it wasn't coming from the bedroom as he would have expected. Instead the sound was coming from the other side of the landing, she was in the spare room, the one they were going to convert into a nursery.

He quickly made his way over there and opened the door. Music was blasting from the speakers of a portable CD-player while Ruth was busy painting the walls, all the while dancing to the rhythm of the music. He knocked on the door to announce his presence, and as she turned around he couldn't help laughing. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun and she was wearing a pair of old jeans and one of his shirts, though this was not what he found so amusing about her appearance. She was covered from top to bottom in tiny flecks of white paint. It was everywhere; on her clothes, in her hair, even on her face. Harry thought it made her look utterly adorable.

"I didn't hear you come home," she said as she switched the music off.

"I'm not surprised," he grinned as he walked towards her. "Judging by the volume of your music burglars could've easily emptied the entire house without you noticing."

"Well I needed something to cheer me up while I was painting," she said, before standing on tiptoes to kiss him.

He responded eagerly to the kiss and wrapped his arms around her to draw her closer to him, at least as far as her ever growing bump would allow.

"Careful," she said as she pulled away from him. "Before you know it you'll have paint all over your suit."

"I'll take my chances," he said, smiling. "Besides, weren't we supposed to do the painting together?"

Ruth shrugged her shoulders. "I got bored so I figured I might as well put my day off to good use. And I don't mind painting, it's actually rather therapeutic."

"But now that I'm here, is there anything I can help you with?" Harry asked.

She shook her head. "No, I'm all done for now. Later on you can put the cot together though. I had a look at the manual and it all looked like gibberish to me."

"Sounds like great fun," Harry said dryly.

* * *

They had a quick dinner and then settled on the sofa with a cup of tea. Harry was reading the paper while Ruth was fully emerged in something on her laptop.

Suddenly she looked up. "How about Thomas?"

Harry folded his newspaper and put it away. "What about it?"

"If it's a boy," Ruth said. "I'm looking at baby names on the internet."

"Hmm.." Harry said. "Any other names you like?"

Ruth quickly scanned through the webpage. "I think Benjamin's nice too, as is Charlie. I like James as well."

"Those are all very conservative choices Ruth," Harry said as he smiled at her.

She raised a questioning eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Don't get me wrong," Harry continued, "I think they're very nice choices. I just expected you to have a bit more unusual taste in names that's all."

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint," she said in a mock-hurtful tone, though Harry could see she was smiling at him.

"You could never disappoint me," he said as he leaned in and kissed her. "Now, what about girls names?"

"I really like Freya, Poppy, and Sophia. Oh and I quite like Lily, too." She said.

"How about you?" she asked.

"I like Sophia as well," he said. "And Emily and Olivia."

Ruth nodded in agreement. "Good choices," she said. "And what about boys names?"

"You know," he said as he rubbed slow circles on her belly, "I really think it's a girl."

"That's funny," Ruth said, " because I actually think it's a boy."

"Then we'll just have to wait and see who's right," Harry said.

"And" he continued, "of course the only thing that matters is that it's healthy. Which is why I'm almost ashamed to admit that, deep down inside, I'm hoping that the baby's a girl."

Ruth looked up at him. Harry looked uncomfortable, ashamed that he had dared to admit it.

"Is it because of Graham?" Ruth asked.

Harry nodded. "I wasn't the best of fathers to either of them, but my bond with Catherine has been more or less restored now. I remember being so excited and overjoyed when Graham was born, because I really wanted to have a son. But I never had that kind of a father-son bond with him as I had been hoping for, and of course I wasn't around enough to try and establish one either. I'm just afraid that I'll mess things up a second time, and I feel that there's less chance of that happening if we have a girl."

Ruth moved closer to him, cupped his face with both hands and kissed him softly. When she pulled back she looked him in the eye, and he could see tears starting to gather in hers.

"Now listen to me," she said. "You're a different man now than you were back then. Yes, you made mistakes but you learnt from them as well. This time round things will be very different, I know they will. Don't beat yourself up about it too much, and don't try to blame it all on yourself. Others were to blame for the bad relationship you have with your children as well. From what you've told me Jane wasn't very supportive of you back then, and as for Graham right now, he's a grown man and he needs to take responsibilities for his own actions instead of blaming it all on you."

By now she was crying and Harry found it hard to keep his own tears at bay. Ruth continued. "I love you, and no matter what happens I will never think any less of you. And whether the baby is a boy or a girl won't matter, because you'll be an amazing father. You're a kind, caring, and loving man, and our child is so lucky to have you for a father. Don't you ever forget that."

When she finished talking Harry pulled her closer and buried his face in her hair, inhaling deeply. "What have I ever done to deserve you?" he whispered.

" You don't have to do anything," she whispered back. "Just be there for me, that's all I need."

"I'm not going anywhere, ever. I promise you." He said as he started kissing her neck, slowly moving towards her jaw line, before finally brushing his lips against hers.

After they ended the kiss Ruth shifted slightly and rested her head against Harry's chest, listening to the comforting thud of his heartbeat. She closed her eyes and sighed as she felt him planting a kiss on the top of her head.

Ruth had meant every word of what she had just said to Harry. She just knew he would be a great father and that he would support her every step of the way. She wasn't the slightest bit worried about any of that. As long as they were together everything would be alright.

* * *

**Thanks again for reading. Please review! xx**


	20. Chapter 20

**Well, we've reached the penultimate chapter. A massive thank you for all the lovely reviews for the previous chapter. I'm aware that this is an insanely long chapter, but it just went on for a lot longer than I expected it to, and I just couldn't split it into two chapters. I really hope you'll enjoy it.**

* * *

"I really hate this," Ruth said as she watched Harry getting ready to leave for work. "I wish I could come with you."

"But you're not coming in with me. I nearly had to ban you from entering the Grid, remember?" he said as he gave her a stern look.

She sighed. "I know. Perhaps that wasn't one of the best ideas I've ever had."

Two days after the start of her leave Harry had had a long meeting with the Home Secretary, during which Ruth had snuck back onto the Grid. All had been well until Beth arrived and sent her home immediately. When Harry got home that night they had a huge row about it, and he ended up sleeping in the spare room. They had made up the next day when Harry apologised for shouting at her, and Ruth promised she wouldn't try coming back to work again.

Harry had gone into the hallway to get his shoes, and stopped on his way back to the kitchen when he saw Ruth fully emerged in trying to balance her teacup and saucer on her belly. She smiled at him triumphantly as she succeeded, only to save the cup from falling just seconds later as a hard kick threw it off balance, which made Harry chuckle.

She stuck out her tongue at him and put the teacup back on the kitchen table. "Worth a try," she said as she shrugged her shoulders."

Harry walked over to where she was sitting. "I should go now or else I'll be late," he said and kissed her. "And the JIC doesn't like waiting for latecomers."

"I never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually rather jealous of you at the moment." Ruth said.

"Now, don't say that," Harry said. "Just relax and enjoy your time off."

"But I'm not enjoying it," Ruth protested. "I'm so bored that I fear I'll be brain-dead by the end of my pregnancy. I've nothing to do, nothing to analyse. No purpose in life whatsoever."

"You could go for a walk?" Harry suggested. "It's the perfect weather for it."

Ruth shook her head. "My feet are swollen. Plus, it's far too hot to walk."

"Catch up on some reading you normally don't have time for?"

Again she shook her head. "I can't concentrate properly on any book right now."

Harry was running out of ideas by now and was getting desperate to leave for his meeting, but he didn't wish to upset Ruth any further either. "Watch television, sleep, sit in the garden?"

"You know I can't sleep either. It's too hot and I'm far too uncomfortable." She sounded genuinely upset now, and Harry was afraid she'd burst into tears at any moment.

"Tell you what," he said. "I'll come home early tonight and we'll go out to dinner, restaurant of your choice. Or we could stay in and do something else, whatever you prefer to do."

Ruth nodded. "I'd like that."

Harry sighed in relief. "Good. Now I really need to go sweetheart, because I'm already running late," he said, kissing both her and her bump quickly.

* * *

A while later Ruth had made herself comfortable in the garden with a cool drink and a stack of magazines Beth had brought her a few days before. She knew she had acted like a bit of a drama queen that morning and regretted making such a fool of herself. But there was an element of truth in what she had said to Harry. She really was getting bored and she dreaded another two weeks of mindless hanging around the house while waiting for the baby to be born.

Whenever Harry was around he was very sweet, attentive and thoughtful, and tending to her every need. But it didn't take away the fact that he was working most days, so she spent a lot of time by herself. Work had never given her the opportunity to really make friends outside her circle of colleagues, something which had never really bothered her before. But right now she really could've done with a friend. Beth sometimes dropped by after work, which was really sweet of her, but again this was always at night when she was tired, and it wasn't the same as spending time during the day with a friend to alleviate the boredom.

At the same time she felt like such a nag for complaining about all this. She knew she should count herself lucky and she did, most of the time, but sometimes the discomforts of a full-term pregnancy just really got to her. It was now mid-June, and the fact that the month of June this year was shaping up to be the warmest in nearly a century wasn't helping either.

Her due date was still two weeks away but, as her midwife had told her the week before, first babies were often late, so it could take even longer. It wasn't something she was particularly looking forward to, as the weather forecast predicted even higher temperatures for July.

Everything was ready now for the baby's arrival. The nursery was finished, and they had bought everything they could possibly need for the coming year or so. After a recent shopping spree Harry had joked that their local branch of Mothercare must now be the most thriving one in the country. Now all that was missing was the actual baby.

Ruth was scared and excited at the same time, but she tried not to think about it too much. She smiled as she felt the baby move again. "Not ready to come out yet, are you?" she said as she rubbed her belly. "I guess I'll just have to be patient for a little while longer then."

She took another sip of her drink and randomly grabbed one of the magazines off the stack and started skimming through it.

* * *

Harry was bored, so unbelievably bored. He knew these JIC meetings always went on for far too long and all he could think about was how mind numbing and utterly useless it all was. Because every single one of their meetings were more or less the same. Five would disagree with Six, the chairman had to intervene, and then they would repeat that same routine a couple of times without ever getting anywhere. These were the times when Harry wondered whether early retirement perhaps wasn't such a bad idea after all. Anything that would ensure that he'd never have to sit through any of these meetings again suddenly seemed very appealing to him.

Suddenly, however, the meeting was interrupted by a loud knock, followed by a door being opened at the far side of the conference room. Everyone looked up, and Harry was surprised to see Dimitri walk in.

"What on earth is going on?" Richard Dolby, chairman of the JIC, asked. "Who are you?"

"Dimitri Levendis, Sir. Very sorry to interrupt."

"You better have a good reason for this Mr. Levendis. Don't you know it is forbidden to enter unannounced hen the JIC is in session?"

"I'm aware of the protocol Sir, but I need Harry to come with me right now. It's urgent." Dimitri said as he moved over to where Harry was sitting.

"A matter of national security?" Dolby asked.

"Something like that, yes." Dimitri said.

"I'm terribly sorry gentlemen," Harry said as he stood up. "Do continue."

Everyone looked positively gobsmacked as Harry gathered his things and quickly left the room with Dimitri. Nobody had ever left a JIC meeting prematurely unless there was a really big crisis going on.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked after they had left the room.

"Okay, don't panic," Dimitri said as he stood still for a moment. "Ruth has gone into labour."

"What?" Harry said. "She can't have, it's too early."

"Well, she has," Dimitri replied.

"And why wasn't I informed sooner?" Harry asked as they resumed their hurried walk through the long, narrow corridor.

"Apparently Ruth tried calling but she couldn't get hold of you."

"It's that bloody 'no mobile phones' rule," Harry muttered.

"So she then called the Grid," Dimitri continued, "and explained the situation to us. Beth went over to your house and I went off to find you."

By now they had reached the front entrance and they stepped outside. Harry, feeling rather overwhelmed by it all, found it very hard to think straight, and he couldn't for the life of him remember where he had parked his car. Suddenly he felt a tight grip on his arm as Dimitri pulled him in the opposite direction.

"Forget about your car. I'll drive you to hospital," he said. "I'll come back for yours later."

Harry nodded dumbly. "Hospital?" he asked.

"Yes, hospital. Beth's already taken her over there."

Dimitri practically had to push Harry into the car. It was unbelievable how a man like Harry, otherwise known for his assertiveness, could be reduced to such a passive creature in a matter of minutes.

They sped through London as fast as the immensely dense traffic would allow. Ruth would probably have to bail him out of a few speeding tickets later on, Dimitri thought to himself, but at the moment he couldn't care less. He just wanted to get his boss to hospital as soon as possible, and all in one piece.

As soon as the car came to a standstill in the hospital parking lot both men jumped out and made for the entrance. Harry practically ran to the front desk and asked for Ruth Evershed, slightly out of breath. They were directed to the maternity ward, which was on the 4th floor. As soon as they got out of the lift they spotted Beth a bit further down the corridor.

"Good, you made it," she said.

"Where is she? Is she ok?" Harry asked, all the while trying to catch his breath.

Beth gestured towards a door opposite them. "She's in there. Good luck," she smiled at him encouragingly.

Harry quickly entered the room and closed the door softly behind him. With a few quick strides he was standing next to the bed where Ruth was lying. He had expected her to be pleased that he was there, but nothing could be further from the truth.

She pushed him away as he leaned down to kiss her. "Why the bloody hell didn't you answer your phone!" she shouted at him.

"I'm so sorry Ruth," he said. "But it's JIC protocol and.."

"Bugger the JIC," she interrupted him.

Just as he was moving away to allow her some space she was hit with another contraction and she roughly grabbed him by his lapels, pulling him closer. "Please don't leave me," she said. She sounded terrified.

He moved to sit next to her on the bed, drew her into his arms and held her close until the pain of the contraction subsided. "I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere," he whispered to her. "I promise."

* * *

It had been a long, arduous labour. Ruth had used swearwords that would've made a sailor proud and had threatened Harry with castration several times, but in the end it had all been worth it.

Harry's heart swelled with pride as he watched Ruth cradle their daughter in her arms. It was, quite possibly, the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you and how proud I am of you?" Harry said as he pulled her closer and kissed her lovingly.

"Hmm..I might have an inkling," she replied as she relaxed into his embrace and gazed at the tiny baby currently nestled in her arms.

"She's beautiful," Harry said. He couldn't keep his eyes off her. He had to pinch himself to make him belief that this was all true, that she was really there.

"She's perfect," Ruth sighed.

She yawned and Harry noticed she was finding it hard to keep her eyes open.

"Shall I take her for a bit?" he asked.

She nodded and carefully handed over their daughter, whom he expertly cradled in his big strong arms. Ruth kept her eyes on him as he lowered himself into a chair next to the bed. She was fighting the overwhelming sense of fatigue with all her might, because she didn't want to miss those first few moments of her daughter's life.

"Have some sleep Ruth, you deserve it." Harry said. "We're not going anywhere, don't worry."

Ruth nodded and allowed herself to sink back into the pillows. She was asleep within minutes.

Harry gazed down at the tiny baby, now comfortably nestled against his chest. He could hardly get his head round the fact that she was actually there. It was all quite unbelievable really. Just a year ago he had started giving up on the idea that he and Ruth could ever have some kind of future together. And never, not even in his wildest dreams, could he have imagined a scenario quite as brilliant as this one. It had outlived all his expectations he still had of life, and he would feel eternally grateful of the fact that he had been given a second chance at love and fatherhood.

"Hey little one," he whispered softly as the baby yawned and nuzzled her face even closer against his chest. "I'm your dad. And I love you so much already, more than I could possibly put into words. And that over there is your mum. She's a bit bonkers, but she's brilliant, and she's the most amazing woman I know. Now she might shout at random objects sometimes, or threaten to bitch slap her laptop, but don't pay too much attention to any of that. Because she's the most loving, caring person I know and she'll be a fantastic mum to you. Now she might not be as great a cook as she tries to make out, but other than that she's absolutely brilliant at anything she does. Stick close to her and listen carefully to what she says, and you'll be absolutely fine."

"You're a big old softie Harry Pearce, did you know that?" Ruth mumbled, half-asleep.

He got up and sat down next to her on the bed again. "Softie I can live with, but less of the old please."

At that moment the baby awoke and both were in for a shock. "She's got your eyes," Harry said as he stared at them in amazement.

"She does," Ruth said as she softly stroked the baby's head.

"And she needs a name," Harry continued. "What do you think?"

"I think," Ruth said, "that you should choose her name."

Harry looked at her, obviously surprised. "Me? You're asking me to name our daughter?"

Ruth nodded. "You were convinced that she was a girl, while I was adamant that she'd be a boy. You were right all along, and because of that I think you deserve to be the one to name her."

Harry started to protest but Ruth went on. "Also, you once told me that you didn't have a say at all when it came to naming your first two children. So this time it's your turn."

"You're trusting me to pick a name that's right for her?" he asked, and she could see he was trying his hardest not to cry. "What if you hate it?"

Ruth shook her head. "I won't hate it. You've got good taste in names, and I trust you explicitly, always."

Harry leaned down and kissed her lovingly and thoroughly. When they finally broke apart Ruth could swear she saw him wipe away a stray tear off his cheek.

"Now then," he said as he held their daughter close to him and kissed the top of her head. "What shall we name you?"

* * *

**Please review! Only the epilogue to go now, which I'll try to upload as soon as possible :) xx**


	21. Epilogue

**Well this is it, we've reached the end. I'm really sad to see this story go, because I've been working on it for so long and it's the biggest multi-chapter fic I've ever written.**

**I'd like to thank everyone who has stuck with this story until the end and to everyone who has left such lovely and encouraging reviews. I really hope you'll like this last chapter and that it'll do the story justice.**

**Oh and Espiyo guessed the name correctly in the last chapter. Well done you!  
**

* * *

**3 years later**

"Look Daddy!"

Harry smiled as he looked at his daughter, trying to jump as high up in the air as she could manage, her blonde curls bouncing around as she did so. "That's brilliant Ollie," he said. "Well done."

"I can go even higher!" she exclaimed as she jumped around the garden excitedly.

Harry loved watching his daughter play. She was a very happy little girl, and he felt he could look at her forever and not get bored. Sometimes he still couldn't quite believe how much his life had changed.

After Olivia's birth things were pretty hectic for a little while, but soon everyone had settled into their new routine and they were all happy and doing well. Harry had been surprised at how easily he had switched back into parenting mode. He was a very hands-on father. Bathing, changing nappies, there wasn't a thing he didn't do. Even the sleepless nights didn't bother him so much. In his line of work he never had regular nights of sleep anyway, so nothing much changed in that respect. And Ruth, although a bit nervous at first, proved to be a natural and had adapted to motherhood very quickly. Harry especially loved it when she sang to the baby. Whenever he would have trouble trying to get her to sleep, she would come in and take Olivia from him, and gently rock her in her arms whilst singing soothing lullabies to her. That way she usually fell asleep within minutes.

Initially Ruth had planned to return to work full time after her maternity leave, but she had soon realised that she'd rather spend more time with her daughter, so she had decided to cut back the hours and work 4 days a week instead.

Four months after the birth they'd finally gotten married, in a small picturesque church just outside London. It had been a very simple, but elegant ceremony with only a few people closest to them attending. Malcolm had been Harry's best man, and Beth had been Ruth's bridesmaid. Afterwards they'd had a celebratory drink at a local pub, and the next day everyone had returned to work, business as usual. There was nothing seemingly special or extravagant about it, just two people expressing their love for each other, surrounded by their loved ones as they did so.

Although things were going well, both felt the need for a change. They had agreed that they didn't want their child to grow up in the city. Both of them had been raised in the country and had fond memories of their childhood spent outdoors. So when Olivia was 6 months old they had taken the big step and moved out of London. Their new house was a beautiful cottage, though it wasn't in Sussex. Instead they had opted for a small village, just a 15-minute drive from Oxford and about an hour's commute to London. And it was around that same time that Harry had had another big surprise for Ruth.

He had thought long and hard about it, and eventually he had come to the conclusion that he wanted to put in a request for early retirement. He was tired of the daily grind of work, the tension, the drama, the politics. He had done it for more years than was probably considered healthy, and now he'd had enough. Ruth would continue to make the regular commute to London, which he understood completely. She was still young, she wanted to work and obviously still loved her job. Which is why he didn't mind the idea of staying at home and taking care of their daughter while she went to work. It really was the perfect arrangement.

And then one day, a few months later, Ruth came home with some big news of her own as well. She had been offered a job by her old college, Corpus Christi, to teach classical Arabic and Persian literature to MA students. It was an offer she couldn't possibly refuse, plus it would mean no more long hours of slaving away on the Grid and endless tedious train journeys from Oxford to London and back. At first she had found it difficult to imagine both their lives outside of MI5, especially because it had played such an important role in their lives for such a long time, but it also had its benefits. Ruth would get a different kind of job, still challenging and exciting, but without the danger and the risk that working for MI5 inevitably brought with it. It would do wonders for her nerves system. It also meant that she'd be able to spend more time at home, something which she rather looked forward to.

And so it was done. Suddenly neither of them worked for the Service any longer, and it felt as though a great weight had been lifted off their shoulders. They had given years of their lives to the Service, and now it was someone else's turn to do the same and save the country on a daily basis.

Around Olivia's first birthday Ruth had expressed her desire to have another baby. She'd told Harry about what it had been like for her growing up as an only child, and how she had often wished she'd had a sibling, especially after her father's death. She didn't want her daughter growing up feeling the same way, feeling as though she was missing out on something. Harry, in turn, remembered what it was like growing up with his brother, Ben, and how much fun they'd always had together. Which is why it was an easy decision to try for another one. So they tried, month after month, but to no avail. They even saw a doctor about it, had a few tests done, but they all came back negative. It was a case of unaccountable infertility. Their doctor suggested a couple of different treatments they could try, but neither of them wanted anything to do with that. They felt that they'd already been lucky enough to have had just one healthy baby at their respective ages, and they weren't going to push their luck. Perhaps, they thought, they weren't meant to have another child, perhaps it had been selfish of them to even consider it. Instead they decided to let nature take its course and see where it would lead them.

On a brighter note, Harry, with lots of help from Catherine, had taken the first steps to reconciling himself with Graham. Their relationship was still very fragile, and it would take a long time to rebuild their trust in one another, but it was a start. Graham had been clean for 5 years now and was trying to get his life back on track. He had a job and was renting a small flat somewhere in town. He had even come over to the house a couple of times for dinner, so things were definitely looking up for him.

And now their little girl was about to turn 3. It was unbelievable how time had flown. To Harry it seemed like only yesterday when he had first set eyes on her in that hospital room. Having a child had brought him and Ruth even closer together than he had ever thought possible. The fact that the two of them, together, had brought new life into the world had created a bond between them that was indestructible. It had made him love and respect her even more than he already did.

Harry's train of thoughts was interrupted as he heard footsteps coming up behind him.

"Is everything alright here?" Ruth asked as she planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Just fine," Harry said and smiled. "Ollie's been running around non-stop for an hour now. If she continues like this she'll be out long before dinner."

Ruth grinned. "At least that way we can have a quiet night for once. A very rare occurrence, so we should be grateful for that I suppose."

"Hmm, yes we should. How are you feeling by the way?"

"Me? Oh I'm fine," Ruth said. "I had a little nap so I'm feeling very energetic just now. Who knows, perhaps I'll suddenly start running around as well." She said jokingly.

"Oh no you don't," he said as he pulled her in for a kiss. "Save your energy for later Lady Pearce."

"Alright, perhaps not then," she said as she kissed him once more.

She then turned around and leaned against Harry, allowing him to slip his arms firmly around her, one hand coming to rest protectively against the slight swell of her belly. And so, together, they watched their little girl, who was now busy chasing a butterfly around the garden. Both felt unbelievably happy about their lives and neither of them wanted to change a thing.

It had taken them a long time, and a lot of effort and heartache before they could finally be together. But now that they were, they had been living in a nearly continuous state of utter bliss which nothing and nobody could ever take away from them. Finally they both had the life they'd always wanted, together. For the first time in their lives they belonged.

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